I don’t like to sound like a prophet of doom, but I read the Book of Zechariah and the Book of Ezekiel and both have predicted, or shall I say, prophesied this pestilence and also the Book of Revelation on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
I don't want to sound morbid either, but today's readings also are all about disease and death. In the first reading, Ezekiel 37:12, there is a repeated mentions of graves and sepulchers. The responsorial psalm (Psalm 130) is a cry out of the depths, and second reading (Romans 8:8-11) talks of raising from the dead. The gospel (John 11: 1-45) is about the death of Jesus' dear friend Lazarus. Nothing is an accident, all these are in convergence for a reason and for a meaning. As Christians, we need to contemplate very deeply and really reflect of the message God is sending to us. This coronavirus is sent as a warning that God isn’t happy with man's behavior in life.
In Luke 21:11: There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilence in various places, and fearful events shall unfold as signs from heaven. In Matthew 24:27, we can expect earthquakes, diseases, famines, great storms, lightning and thunder. The Book of Revelations also mentions the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first horseman is riding a white horse carrying a bow, which is said to be the bearer of pestilence and contagious disease. The second riding on a red horse (sorry, alcohol drinkers), carrying a sword is said to be the bearer of war. The third is riding a black horse, said to be the carrier of famine. And the last on a pale green horse is said to be the carrier of death itself.
These are very scary to me and to a lot of others, but even Joseph Smith, said to be a prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Saints, or the Mormons, also declared his prophecies of pestilence, wars, famines, and death. Even the quarantine had been predicted more than 2000 years ago. In Isaiah 26:20, it was written: "Go home, my people, and lock your doors. Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord's anger has passed." In the Old Testament, Noah and his family had to go on quarantine, inside his boat for 40 days and 40 nights, without any window, terrace, TV, wi-fi, Facebook, or Netflix.
Nostradamus was said to have predicted in 1551: "There will be a twin year (2020), from which will arise a queen (corona) from the East (China) and she will spread a plague all over the world, especially in a country of 7 hills (Italy), to transform the twilight (life) of men into dark (death) and that will be the end of humanity.” As Christians, we are not supposed to believe in the false prophets. We just need to hold on to our faith that there is nothing impossible with God. Our faith is our only anchor to go on hoping that this crisis will soon end, and life will go on.
I keep singing the lines in "I Believe", that somewhere in the darkest night, a candle glows...I believe above the storm, the smallest prayer will still be heard. I believe that COVID-19 will soon end, and we will have a second chance to become a better humanity.