Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you.

- 1 Peter 2:20

It's Easter Season - or as the kids say, SZN, and we, as Christians are supposed to be filled with great hope. But hope has probably been a scarce resource over the last seven weeks.

If you know me, you know that I am someone who enjoys efficiency, technology, and the benefits of social media. Accessibility, when used for good, is probably one of the greatest advances in human history. However, there are two things that I have trouble letting go of that have been altered with technological advances. The first isn't a quarantine revelation, but something I have discovered over the last decade of: reading books and newspapers on paper. I miss reading the sports page over a bowl of cheerios, or trying to beat a family member to the crossword puzzle each morning. 

The second is Mass. In a time of decreased church attendance, Mass has become even easier to access. Perhaps many Catholics aren't noticing a change, but for my family, our tradition of attending the 5:00 pm Vigil Mass at St. Paul's in the Italian Market followed by Santucci's or Angelo's Pizza for dinner is a weekly exercise that I miss incredibly. 

It's been quite the adjustment moving away from weekly Mass, especially during the holy seasons of Lent and Easter. We all want life to normalize. We all want to get back into our routines and see our family and friends in-person rather than through screens (I think that rhymed). But the second reading from Peter is a great reminder for me and hopefully for you too. Patience is a virtue.

We are in the midst of our 7th week of social distancing, our 7th week without restaurants, our 7th week without sports, our 7th week without change. Through these seven weeks we have witnessed and experienced great hardships. We have lost people close to us, and have coped with uncertain economic situations, but as the reading says: "Beloved: If you are PATIENT when you suffer for doing what is GOOD, this is a GRACE before GOD." We are going to come out on the other side of this. The Sixers will be playing again soon. In the meantime, let's continue to do our part - to keep those around us safe and know that God is with us.