FINALLY, we’re back to having indoor Masses without restrictions: 100% seating capacity, no required wearing of a mask, and social distancing! Of course, some of us are still frightful and cautious, and we understand their situations.
At Incarnation Church, we’re committed to providing parishioners with a safe environment as we worship together. We’re together in unity and peace!
We continue to pray that this pandemic ends ultimately. And we’re all together to tackle the challenges of ministry during the post-pandemic. We’ll encourage one another to go back to church and will keep finding new ways of reaching out in faith to all.
Fear will never paralyze us. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit encourages us to come to a new vision of being a parish community, aligned with the vision of Jesus Christ and the Church.
Indeed, the pages of world history will be full of stories of the one year and three months of the pandemic. I hope that our parish and school will be part of the many Catholic churches and schools that historians will recognize because of our steadfastness, creativity, and cooperation with the State and the city in protecting our people’s health, especially those of our children, youth, and elderly.
This Sunday, our Scripture Readings encourage us to keep trusting the Lord and believing in his power to save us. No conspiracy theory lies, and misinformation would cripple our faith in fear. We know that the power of God is greater than any pandemic and any evil attempt to destroy humanity. God will never destroy the beauty of his creation. We’ve got to believe this truth of the Scriptures.
In the First Reading (Job 38:1, 8-11), God speaks to Job with maternal care because of Job’s diminishing hope. God had delayed answering Job’s prayers. At last, he softens Job’s despair, saying:
“Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb; and when I made the clouds its garment and thick clouds its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of the door, and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled?”
In the words of Fr. John Foley, SJ, God tells Job: “Weren’t you present when I lavished such love on everything I created? Don’t you remember my love? Don’t you trust it? “
God’s infinite love has been there all along. Apparently, God’s delay was needed to strengthen Job’s faith and trust.
I would say no more then how we can relate to Job’s story during the pandemic.
So, friends, let’s keep trusting in God, who has power over the storms of life. Let’s keep listening to Jesus, who tells us in our prayers:
“Quiet! Be still! Have faith!
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
