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Heighten your prayer this Easter

Although saddened, stunned and horrified over the COVID-19 pandemic, people here and around the world are embracing in their hearts the deeper, more consequential meaning of this Easter Sunday for all humanity.

The Resurrection — Jesus Christ’s victory over death — not only is a source of hope and confidence that faith, knowledge, patience, science and research someday soon will be able to control or eradicate the deadly scourge currently running rampant across the planet.

More importantly, though, Jesus’ resurrection widens the opportunity for the whole of mankind’s salvation, despite the challenges, disappointments, sorrows and assaults on individual faith that humans endure during the course of their lives.

During this time when members of the Jewish faith are celebrating one of their most important holidays, Passover, which marks the freeing of the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt, many millions of Christians the world over are praying that the glory of Easter helps to break and end the increasingly frightening “enslavement” that the coronavirus is inflicting on the world.

In mid-February, as Christians were preparing for their Lenten journey that would begin on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, members of the clergy were offering suggestions to their congregations about how to make the weeks leading up to Easter more meaningful toward their goal of eternal salvation.

But the good advice of clergy soon became overshadowed by the tragic, growing realities of COVID-19 and the unquestionable evidence that the pandemic would impact seriously all of this nation’s 50 states and most, if not all, nations on earth.

This sickness knows no boundaries, and there is growing speculation that it won’t be eradicated completely this year.

For many believers in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection, praying more fervently than ever before, begging for the Lord’s mercy for all, seems the best recourse at this time and for the foreseeable future, combined with today’s most significant religious event.

Pastor John Godissart of First United Methodist Church in Hollidaysburg echoed that thought in a March 20 Mirror article saying, “The best thing is to be in prayer, for people to connect with God.”

Some Catholics of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese might be reflecting on the Easter message delivered last year by Bishop Mark L. Bartchak, part of which centered on faith — faith that is needed today.

On that topic, the bishop quoted Pope Francis’ words that “Faith means believing in God, believing that he truly loves us, that he is alive, that he is mysteriously capable of intervening.”

Certainly, if intervention is God’s will, it cannot come soon enough.

For young children, today means the Easter Bunny’s arrival and all the goodies that go along with that. Hopefully, despite pandemic-related concerns, parents are trying to keep the holiday’s excitement intact for those youngsters, while dealing carefully with questions that the children might ask.

Regardless of how you observe Easter, make today the most meaningful that it can be.

And while acknowledging Jesus’ victory 2,000 years ago, remain confident that victory is attainable again — this time, in the difficult health battle ahead.

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