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Jesus engages in a different kind of social distancing in our Gospel today. It was kind of funny to me as I was reading it. Instead of taking a step back from his social circle to protect Himself and others from a virus, He was protecting Himself from murder by the Pharisees.
Another parallel I see between this passage and the goings on of today involved the high priest, Caiaphas. In speaking of the disruption that Jesus was causing amongst the Jewish people he said,
You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish.
What a horrible thought, but one that people have been dealing with in morality for a long time. What Caiaphas is saying here is that it would be best for the entire Jewish people to actively capture and condemn Jesus to crucifixion by the Romans so that the Romans would not further suppress their people. Even so, does he not prophesy? Indeed, God found it good that "one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." Jesus died on behalf of all human kind so that we might live because of Him.
Caiaphas did not have good intentions, but God brings miracles from evil. That's the lesson of the empty tomb.
Just so, the coronavirus epidemic is not of God. God did not cause this suffering, but He did allow it, and if He allowed it then that means He has a plan to bring good out of it. This is the Heavenly Father we know, love, and trust. He will not abandon us. He brings light out of darkness. Consider this time a prophesy of better things to come, and ask God to increase the trust in your hear. Jesus, we trust in you.
-Amanda Nobis, Director of Evangelization