# We Are Never Alone – Reflections on Lent, Suffering, and Divine Mercy
*2020-04-03*

> Bill Young reflects on the Lent theme “We Are Never Alone,” shares Father Henry Newman’s insights on suffering, and leads a prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and novena during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

## Lent, Palm Traditions, and the Theme “We Are Never Alone”

I begin by noting that today is the fifth week of Lent, the day before Palm Sunday. Our archbishop, like many dioceses, encourages us to place a palm branch on our doors as a reminder of Christ’s triumph. In Florida palms are abundant, but for those elsewhere I suggest using a small cross made from a palm leaf—my wife crafts them each year. If anyone needs a palm cross, they can contact me at my email or phone.

The central truth of today’s meditation is that we are never alone because God is always with us. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.

## Father Henry Newman on Suffering and Divine Mercy

Father Henry Newman writes that the great secret of life is that suffering, however unbearable, can become a source of new life and hope through compassion. Because Jesus became fully human, He entered into our pain, temptation, and death without sin, He knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us more than we love ourselves.

He urges us to say “yes” to God’s invitation before the final breath, for God never gives up on us. Even when we reject Him, He keeps trying, offering grace until the end of our lives.

## Personal Reflections During the Pandemic

I share my own anxieties about the coronavirus, especially as someone with diabetes. I also recall how saints and loved ones who have died continue to intercede for us, recalling my aunt Mary Teresa and the comfort I felt through the rosary.

I note the value of virtual masses and spiritual communion, and I hope that priests will find safe ways to offer confession, perhaps through car‑window meetings, as some have already done.

## The Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena

We now pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the novena. I lead the opening prayer, the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles’ Creed, and the repeated invocations of “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

Following the chaplet, I recite the Litany of Divine Mercy, invoking God’s boundless compassion in every line, and conclude with a closing prayer asking the Lord to increase His mercy in us during these difficult times.

## Encouragement to Pray Together

Even while physically apart, we can unite in prayer. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is hosting a live rosary at 8 p.m. tonight, with thousands joining. I encourage everyone to pray together, whether the rosary, the chaplet, or any personal devotion, trusting that God’s mercy sustains us.

*God’s presence and mercy are constant; we need only open our hearts to receive them.*