As someone who grew up in a religious family, in a religious town, I have been exposed to Catholic teachings for the most part of my life. But as I grew up, I moved to a different city to study and I met a lot of people along the way who exposed me to different beliefs. I started to learn new things and eventually my relationship with religion went cold when I questioned certain things.
Fast forward to the pandemic, I had no choice but to go back home. The rest of the world seemed to be put in halt as we were all forced to stay inside for a long time. Because of this, I had a hard time trying to cope with the anxiety and hopelessness I was feeling during the lockdown and it was really taking a toll on my mental and physical health.
I tried almost everything to lift my spirits up that time except for one thing: pray. I haven’t talked to Jesus in a while, especially with everything that’s been going on. But when the pandemic happened and I felt like I couldn’t do much, all I could do was pray.
At first it seemed pointless. I still felt nothing. I was hoping something grand would happen for me to feel like I have reconnected with Jesus. But as the days passed by and I have reflected more, I realized that Jesus is not just limited to the church.
My family became the face of Jesus at home whenever I feel down and need some comfort. My friends’ love for me also became a representation of His love for me when they would constantly call and reach out. And lastly, my teachers’ at that time also proved that they are the face of Jesus in my life when they would be considerate in giving out tasks and would constantly check on us through chat.
I am still on my journey of reconnecting with Jesus and I do it by reading and reflecting whenever I can. I know that a lot of people may be experiencing the same thing as I am and they may feel lost and don’t know where to start.
With that, here are the books that I think would help in your journey to reconnect with Jesus this Holy Week through reflection:
1. Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation by Matthew Kelly
2. Moments (Reflections, Experiences, Stories, Thoughts) by Fr. Jerry M. Orbos SVD
3. Didache 2020 Daily Bible Reflections for Catholics by Feast Books
4. Daily Reflections by Helen Steiner Rice
By Ella Lorraine Regudo, BookSpine PH Apprentice
