As the coronavirus has continued to spike, there are two lines in this Sunday’s second reading from the Letter to the Romans that I think particularly speak to us at this time.
First, we are promised that the Holy Spirit “comes to the aid of our weakness” (Romans 8:26). If the current news about the coronavirus leaves us feeling weak and vulnerable, let us remember that it is especially when we are feeling weak and vulnerable that the Holy Spirit “comes to the aid of our weakness.” And with our all-powerful God on our side, we are anything but weak or vulnerable in the face of the coronavirus or any other challenge in our lives.
The Letter to the Romans then reminds us that if we sometimes are weak in our faith and doubt that the Father is hearing our groanings – these days especially for help and relief from the coronavirus – the Holy Spirit himself “intercedes with inexpressible groanings” (Romans 8:26).
I think that many of us are doing a lot more groaning these days than usual, and we can take comfort that the Holy Spirit is groaning right along with us for a cure to the coronavirus. God does indeed hear our groanings, and the Holy Spirit amplifies our groanings.
Eventually God will answer our prayers and groanings with a cure for the coronavirus. In the meantime, even in the weakness that we may be feeling because of the coronavirus, we are strong because our all-powerful God is with us all the way.