COVID tested our faith, and we failed the test By Thomas Renz for Life Site News
I think it is our duty to humbly assist our shepherds follow the path that God has laid out for us — a path that is never subject to the politics of man.
Approximately 17 months ago the world began hearing about a “new and terrifying” disease that would “kill millions and millions.” As it happens, the disease was nowhere near as deadly as claimed to most, but it was incredibly deadly to the health of our faith.
I am an active and practicing Catholic. I believe in the sacraments and my family is in church most Sundays. For many years prior to 2020 I sat in Church on a weekly basis and listened to my priest exalt the sacraments. This always sat well with me because I truly believed it was a privilege to commune directly with Christ, participate in Mass, and celebrate my faith with a community of believers. Then COVID came.
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Suddenly my church, a church founded by someone who healed the sick and spent time with lepers and sinners, informed me that the sacraments were not worth the risk. They closed the churches, canceled the sacraments, and in a local case, the priest even stopped anointing the sick. To say this was disappointing might be the most colossal understatement I could ever make.
How could my church, which believes that the Communion we receive during Mass is literally the body and blood of Christ, claim that it was not safe to partake in this ritual? Is Christ really present in Communion, or is He not? If He is, then why would we cancel? Do we not believe that Christ is powerful enough to heal the sick? Do we really think our loving God would sicken us by participating in such a holy ritual of which He is a direct part?
I am sickened by this. I find it appalling that we would EVER give up on these core tenets of our faith. I found it even worse when I saw a local priest deny a number of seniors, who had become sick or were dying during this debacle, their last rites despite their lifelong commitment to the faith. I have no interest in seeing another Mass with this “priest,” but I am now wondering whether this same person is telling everyone that they need to be back for Mass every weekend so they can participate in these most holy of rituals.
This apparent complete and total lack of faith in God’s ability to protect us occurred in more Christian communities, not just the Catholic Church, and was equally appalling in all of them. From the Baptists to the Evangelicals to the Lutherans, and so on, faith seemed to be in short supply. Incredibly, despite these Christian leaders closing their doors to the faithful, most continued to keep their wallets open by requesting that parishioners continue to tithe. I do not want to by cynical, but all of this raises the question regarding these shepherds: Is your true faith in Christ or the church’s bank account?
