Dear Parishioners,
Last week, our world memorialized the near shutdown caused by the global pandemic. Last week marked the stoppage of most of those things we hold dear such as going to church, in-class learning for schools, eating out at restaurants, gathering with friends, working in an office with other employees, and more. Quarantines were set in place for those who may have been exposed to the virus. Businesses shut down. People were sequestered in their homes and could not visit other family or friends. People’s addictions and mental illness became worse. Many lost their jobs and some businesses closed for good. More tragically, over a half a million people lost their lives due to the effects of COVID-19 either directly or indirectly. Suicide rates climbed. Each of us likely know someone who fell ill due to coronavirus and many of us know someone who even died. These are some of the dark sides to the pandemic. A question that many have asked is, where is God in all of this? Does he care that we are suffering? Such questions are reasonable and answers can be shrouded in mystery. If the Father sent his Son so that we would not perish (cf. John 3:16), then where has he been this whole time? Let me offer a response. While God’s permissive will allows for sin and evil, including pandemics, that does not mean he doesn’t care. Indeed, he cares more than anyone, and his response is more profound and eternal than a quick fix.
God has been in the hands of first responders, doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists. He has been in the work of scientists who found a way to create therapies that help people fight off sickness from COVID-19. He has been in some of the work of politicians who have been scrambling amidst the divisiveness of the political environment to secure financial aid to those in need and protections for the most vulnerable. God has been in the ministers and laity of churches who reached out to pray and accompany those who were sick, sometimes putting themselves in harms way. He has been present in those who could only visit via an outer window of a nursing facility to let their loved ones know that they are not alone. God has been with teachers and staff who worked beyond their training in order to allow children to receive the best education possible given the restrictions placed upon them. God has been in the work of the myriads of people who have made efforts to call or write letters to those who were most isolated and vulnerable. God has been present in the efforts to bring food to the poor or those who lost their jobs and struggled with food insecurity. He has been in the truck drivers and distributors of food, grocery employees, utility workers, and construction workers. God has been present in people who have spent extra time, energy, and money to communicate helpful and uplifting content as well as make more easily available the tools to communicate via the Internet. The list goes on and on.
We are approaching Holy Week which begins with Palm Sunday. In these coming liturgies, we are given the ultimate answer, by the Father through Jesus, how much we are loved and cared for by God. In His Paschal Mystery, our Lord definitively answers the question with which I began this letter. He set in motion the ultimate response to suffering and death in our world. He sent his Son to take on our suffering, sin, and death. He became that grain of wheat that fell and died, only to rise again in glory. In doing all of this, Jesus Christ allied himself with humanity’s fallenness, was lifted high on the cross, and died for our sins. He pulled humanity through death and rose from the dead so that we too could rise with him when our final day comes. He has redeemed us and opened Heaven for us, that place where we hope to live in ecstasy with God, the Angels, and Saints forever!
This is the hope in which we find meaning. This is the consolation we have for those who have suffered so much in the pandemic. It is the divine mercy in which we place our trust for those who have died. It is the Good News, the center of the Christian faith, the reason why the Church exists, and the message we need to be reminded of and share with others.
May the light of our faith shine ever brighter despite and through the darkness of the pandemic and other tragedies which befall us. Remember, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Let us surrender all our worries, losses, and concerns to him. We surrender ourselves to you, Jesus. Take care of everything!
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor