Sturdy and nicely sized, the hooks are bolted on either side of the inside of the trunk. They can hold very heavy bags, keeping contents secure, and are, according to others, quite unusual.

I'm sure other makes and models have them but given the pleasant surprises of people who help me with groceries and other hangable objects, there don't seem to be many cars with such compelling hooks!

The hooks remind me of other, different kinds, which surfaced in the work I did for my final synthesis paper for a master of theological studies at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, which I completed in May.

Then, I studied how the Church acted and reacted during four past pandemics and what we might glean from today's pandemic and its aftermath.

I don't have much space to go into the details (books are on the way!), but one thing does stand out: Simple, Christian action has been a powerful "hook" to evangelize and grow the Church.

In the pandemic of around 160, for example, the early Church was mostly considered an outlying cult on the margins of the polytheistic pagan society. Roman military action exposed troops to smallpox and it caught and burned throughout the empire.

Christians were among those blamed for the resulting devastation. Persecuted, killed, many of our early brothers and sisters in Christ paid the ultimate price for professing faith in Jesus during that time.

Yet, as the pandemic raged, and "traditional" physicians fled, the Christians were noted for their unwavering, courageous, compassionate care to the sick, dead and dying.

From their actions, which included sheltering suffering pagans and Christians, the seeds of what are now hospitals were sown. And, very astounding, despite the persecution and marginalization of the Church, the Church did not decline in numbers, but grew!

There are many more stories from the past that might inspire and inform us today. The simple dedication to loving in the name of Christ despite societal persecution and a terrible scourge is, I think, important for us as we gather again in our faith communities.

In many parishes, it is a time of financial uncertainty, loss and a desire to rebuild. We might worry about programs that need staffing or too small budgets. We might worry that we don't have enough "bells and whistles" to attract others, or that technology will be the answer to effective evangelization.

The early Church grew despite having no money, no acceptance in the broader society and very little infrastructure.

Instead, what brought people to the faith in the aftermath of smallpox in the late second century was what I might call a "hook of the heart" – the compelling action of the Holy Spirit sparking through Christians acting for others suffering from a terrible, disfiguring disease, despite persecution and other tremendous obstacles.

From simple, powerful faith in action, amazing blessings flowed.

Our world is very different today than in 160. Our Church is larger, global in diversity, breadth and depth.

But like the time-tested hooks in my car's trunk that still delight and draw, the centuries deep, heart-full work of Christians inspires now as then, inviting us to look, see and draw near without fear that we lack enough to grow.

Rather, with fearless faith, we have everything we need.

Pratt's website is www.maureenpratt.com