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Wouldn’t life be easier if we had God figured out? If we could tell him what to do?

“Lord, do this, this, and this, and then I’ll believe.”

It seems part of our human code, this desire to calculate or control God. To pin him down underneath our thumb.

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In the Gospel, for example, Philip says, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

And we could add, “Lord, tell me exactly when my job will return; when this virus will end; when social distancing will be a thing of the past.”

“Give me a glimpse of a brighter future – and while you’re at it, show me your face – then I’ll believe.”

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Unfortunately, that’s not how faith works. Faith is not built upon calculation or control; it’s built upon trust.

Think about it on these terms: When nursing, a child latches onto its mother, trusting it will be nourished.

It trusts. It’s nourished.

In a similar way, we must latch onto Christ – we must embrace him – before we can receive his blessings, blessings which can be as numerous as we are.

“Whatever you ask in my name, I will do,” Jesus says. But like a little child, we must learn to trust him first.

Only then will we have access to God.

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Saint Paul is an extraordinary role model for me as a priest. He was celibate, a zealous convert, and a man deeply in love with Jesus. 

But one aspect of his life is often overlooked. Though he traveled far and wide, Paul rarely traveled alone.

As the Risen Lord says to the disciples in our first reading, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them.”

Paul and Barnabas are being commissioned to preach the Gospel in Greece, Cyprus, and modern-day Iraq. At times, their journey will be a dangerous. 

But they will never be alone; they have each other.

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I can only imagine how much harder Paul’s journey would’ve been if he didn’t have anyone by his side; if he had no community to write to while in prison; if he had no person to pray for him while he preached.

Perhaps his ministry would’ve been impossible.

Even for Paul, the celibate road was marked by more than one set of footprints; those of trustworthy friends.

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As it’s written in the Book of Sirach:

Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure.

Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their worth.

Paul knew that. We know that.

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Looking back, we’ll see a variety of people who’ve crossed our path. True friends are the ones who’ve never left our side.

Even in this age of social distance and “virtual presence,” how might we reach out to a friend – or try to be such a friend – today?

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Over the last several days, I’m sure many of you heard about the Blue Angels flying over some of America’s most popular cities, including New York, in an operation titled, America Strong.

America Strong is meant to encourage our nation’s healthcare workers, among others, who are fighting tirelessly on the front lines against Covid-19.

We’ve all seen images of these doctors and nurses working in hospitals that are overwhelmed with sick and dying patients. It’s like they’re stuck in a terrible dream, somewhere between life and death.

Although they’re being heroic, they’re also human. Like us, they need to be encouraged. 

Hence operation America Strong.

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This surreal setting, feeling caught between life and death, is not much different than our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

We hear about the life of the early Church. People are coming to believe in Jesus by the thousands. A sign of life.

But these same Christians are also being persecuted for their faith; many are being killed. 

Life was not easy, which is partly why the Apostles send Barnabas, whose name means, “son of encouragement,” to Antioch.

Although these Christians were strong, they were also human.

They needed encouragement.

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Are we any different?

Think not only about our healthcare workers, but also our children who were just informed they will not be returning to school this year in New Jersey.

Don’t they need to be encouraged?

Or college freshmen who are finishing their first year at home instead of on campus. Don’t they need to be encouraged?

Or parents and grandparents who sit at home in isolation. Don’t they need to be encouraged?

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Though we’re strong, we’re also human. We need encouragement.

In the spirit of Barnabas, the “son of encouragement,” think of at least one person whom you can encourage today with a phone call, a kind word, or a “social distance” hug.

Gestures of unity and kindness remind us, like those Blue Angels soaring in the sky, that America – and by extension, the Church – is strong.