(CNS)
By Taylor Rayray
Special to the Herald
As a part of the universal Catholic church, we have all endured emotional, mental and physical challenges this past year-and-a-half during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask-wearing and habitual sanitizing have become the new normal, and for a large portion of this period we have not been able to celebrate Mass in-person or sing. We continue to adapt to this new way of living and are looking to the COVID-19 vaccines as our gift from God to fight the pandemic.
Hospitals in Hawaii have been overwhelmed by spikes in cases that emergency rooms are having trouble accommodating. Churches in Hawaii are continuing to enforce the mask and sanitizing rules. As it has become more difficult to worship in ways with which we are familiar, we find new ways to keep our faith lives active. We have online Masses, in-person social distancing Masses, and have cut down on the number of in-person events to minimize the chance of virus spread.
We continue to maintain our caution when holding parish celebrations. The promise of the possibility of returning to pre-pandemic Masses rests in the vaccine. Bishop Larry Silva told me in an email in May that “so far we have had to limit the number of people who could come to Mass at one time, and we have had to curtail many of our parish catechetical, spiritual and social gatherings. With the safeguard of the vaccine, we should be able to resume these activities that mean so much to us and that help us grow as disciples of Christ.”
The vaccine helps to improve the overall quality of life, especially for our religious population.
Himself vaccinated, Bishop Silva spoke of the importance of vaccinations and how they can improve the quality of life in Hawaii. “While taking the vaccine is a personal choice, the more people can be vaccinated, the sooner we should be able to return to a pre-COVID-19 way of life,” he said. “This is important for spiritual growth, emotional health and economic well-being. Taking the vaccine may be good for the individual, but it can also be a gift to the community.”
The COVID-19 vaccination is not meant to disrupt our way of life but rather enrich it by allowing us to return to a normal lifestyle. A large part of a growing and thriving church community comes with a social aspect, and this has been hindered by the pandemic. With further safety measures, lots of prayers and a communal effort, we will put the pandemic behind us.
God protects us in many ways. We also need to do our part in taking care of our parish communities, especially the elderly, the young and the vulnerable. One way we can all help is to take the vaccine — a way God is helping us fight this pandemic.
Bishop Silva said, “God inspires scientists and clinicians to discover ways to help the beautiful body God made to respond better to attacks against it from the invisible enemy of a virus.”
The vaccine is not a government ploy, but rather one of God’s many ways to help us fight the pandemic, because it is by the grace of God that we are fortunate enough to continue to praise and worship. Taking the vaccine not only protects oneself, but also others who look to in-person church events as their main mode of keeping in touch with God and their faith.
Rayray is a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ewa Beach.
