Hold On, Pain Ends By Katie Helland - Director of Communications
More than a year ago, we welcomed 2020, sure it would bring surprises. But, no one imagined a global pandemic. In the US, alone, the number of people who have died from complications of the novel Coronavirus exceeds 500,000. For nearly a year, many Americans — including teachers and students — have worked from home, bringing laptops, keyboards, and desks into tiny bedrooms and kitchens across the nation. High school sports came to a grinding halt. So did milestone events for teenagers, like 16th birthday parties, proms, and a diploma wielding, in-person graduation. Today, the nation is still in the middle of this crisis, but hope has arrived in the form of several FDA-approved vaccines. As we start a new year — 2021— many of us have the same resolutions we’ve had in other Januarys: lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, and spend less time on our phones and computers. Basically, we want to be better, happier versions of ourselves. But this past year has left us with new goals too. Racism, inequality, and massive unemployment demand our attention. In addition to that, long weeks of isolation have caused many to re-evaluate how we spend our time and money. With all these changes, what’s new about 2021? Maybe that we’re starting to talk about hope. In December, at the school’s Advent Liturgy, which was held virtually via Zoom, Father James Okafor, the school’s chaplain, defined hope for our community. He shared his experience visiting juvenile hall, where he met a young woman we’ll call “Audrey,” who seemed full of hope, despite her situation. One day, Father James asked her “Why?” Audrey shared that a teacher told her the word “hope” stands for “hold on, pain ends.” This definition works in juvenile hall, but it also works in 2021. Today, we hope the pandemic will end soon, and we will be able to visit loved ones, near and far. This year, bringing hope to students has been a guiding focus for the administrators, teachers, and staff at Archbishop Mitty High School. Father James presided over the Mass of the Holy Spirit in person in 2019, before shelter-in-place orders sent students home last spring. This school year, liturgies and Masses have been shared via Zoom. At the Advent Liturgy, Father James talked about hope.
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ARCHBISHOP MITTY MAGAZINE
