I think it was inevitable. A God who loves us beyond what we can ever imagine could only wait for so long before somehow intervening. It is said, God’s patience is directed toward our salvation (see 2 Pt. 3: 15). We should never, however, take God for granted or try His patience.
The world’s situation has been
out of control, in a downward plunge. Diminished
respect for human life. Rampant
promiscuity. Materialism. The breakup of the family. Divorce and remarriage. Redefining gender and traditional marriage. Idolatry and paganism. Contempt for the Catholic Church, Sacred
Tradition and natural law. Spiritual
lethargy and indifference began infecting most everyone (except, perhaps, for
some very saintly souls or those deemed radical zealots). Through the years, I have referenced many examples
of social decline ad nauseam. This
moral disease rampant throughout the world is both deadly and malignant—like
a virus.
From a spiritual perspective, the
core problem is defiance of God—directly or indirectly. The nature of all sin coalesces
in disobedience of Almighty God and His plan for our existence. May I take a second to remind us all that God
is the Creator and we are creatures, not the other way around.
In the meantime, things continue
to happen in our world, ever-more rapidly. We are given warnings, signs, disasters and other reminders of the fragility
of this world. There have been earthquakes,
tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, floods, pestilence, plagues, wars, etc.
We are warned of such things in Sacred
Scripture (see Mt. 24: 6-8.) Now there is COVID-19. Add this to the list of all those reminders of
our mortality. Momento mori.
What this virus has done, no one
could imagine could be done so quickly. Many segments of the world’s economy have come to a screeching halt. No bars, meals at restaurants, non-essential
businesses, large or small social gatherings of any kind are currently permitted
in many locations worldwide. Entire countries
are in some form of lock-down or quarantine.
Let’s not ignore what the virus
has also done to one of the greatest false gods in contemporary
culture: organized sports. Isn’t it interesting how the stadiums and
arenas are suddenly empty? Some of these
facilities may now be used as make-shift hospitals. The professional sports cash-cow is
now without its milk. Paid athletes are
not the only ones affected. Many pastors
have tried to preach about not having youth sport games or practices on Sunday
morning (the Lord’s Day), but it fell mostly on deaf ears. Now there are no Sunday (or any other day) practices
or games throughout parts of the entire world. All this happened almost instantly and without much warning.
Take notice how quickly various activities
and events we take for granted can rapidly disappear from our lives—temporarily
or maybe even completely.
The coronavirus: Is Almighty God behind it all?
We may ponder, question, deny, parse,
qualify and debate the answer to this thought. Let me answer clearly and directly:
yes. If something happens
in our world, then God, at a minimum, has allowed it to happen. God is in charge and always will be. There are no exceptions. Whether it be His direct, active, positive
will or His permissive will, God ultimately decides what will and
what will not be allowed to occur, now and always.
This is not to say that
God desires evil things (such as deadly earthquakes, hurricanes, viruses,
etc.) or evil persons, for that matter. Rather, He permits them to exist. He permits Satan to exist. God may allow some things to happen as the
result of our own sinfulness, folly or inaction. He allows us, because of free-will, to
make bad choices and to sin. Like a good
Father, however, He may then choose to discipline or to justly punish His
disobedient child/children. In the end, God,
who is love, wills the best for each of us—not our downfall and destruction.
. . . We have had our earthly fathers to discipline us,
and we respected them. Should we not
[then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a
short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order
that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not
for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your
weak knees. Make
straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but
healed. (Heb. 12: 9-13)
Will we learn the proper lesson from
any form of the Lord’s discipline to which we may be subjected, now or
in the future? Better to accept any and
all discipline we are given now, rather than experience eternal punishment and
damnation in the future.
I believe a Divine Adjustment
is taking place in our world. In some
mysterious way, God is acting to bring us back to Himself. He seems to be getting our attention through
a virus. Whether we all will listen is
another story.
What needs to happen in our
world?
We began this Lenten season with
the reminder that all people need to follow Jesus’ unceasing command: Repent, and believe in the gospel
(Mk. 1:15). I fear that many will not understand what God
is doing on our behalf, now or ever. In the end, unless we get down on our knees, turn back to God and beg
His forgiveness and mercy, we have entirely missed the boat. We all need conversion. We need to change our lives now. I sadly see people strategizing how to get
through this current crisis but without even a shred of acknowledgement of the
need for Divine Assistance. Variations
of Pelagianism apparently still thrive in society. We don’t need God to get us through
this. Stay strong together! Sounds
like another Tower of Babel situation.
Let’s do a collective examination
of conscience: Is there increased prayer
in families as we are spending time forced together? Are there any acts of penance and reparation
being made? Is there a renunciation of all sinful lifestyles and
behavior? Maybe some activities or
occasions of sin are being curtailed under this quarantine. Yet, in other places and situations sin is
still flourishing. I wonder how much the
internet porn business has decreased. Are
there more or less cases of domestic violence? I heard that some abortion facilities want to be considered an essential
service and remain open. Politicians
still hold staunchly to ungodly beliefs and positions. The rebellion against God continues—even with
a potentially deadly virus enveloping us rapidly. Sadly, many things still do not change.
Here’s a thought to ponder: How can we be certain that this current
crisis is not just one of a number of future “plagues” “chastisements” or “punishments”
still coming, if we fail to heed this particular warning? Didn’t it take ten plagues finally to
get through to the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh (see Ex. 7-12)?
Various prophesies have spoken of coming “days of darkness,” an “illumination of conscience” for all people as well as other possibilities. What if we lose power or the internet
in the days ahead? With so many working
from home and so dependent on computers and smart phones, what if they all suddenly
go down? Perhaps, a solar flare. Then what do we do? Will we pay attention then?
One can only imagine the possibilities
of what can still happen! I am no prophet. I am just a parish priest trying to interpret
the signs of the times through a spiritual, biblical lens. I ask sincerely: Has God gotten our
attention yet? Are we paying attention?
What about any innocent
victims who may die? How can a good
God allow this to happen?
These same questions have been
brought up in practically every disaster known to mankind, natural or man-made. Innocent victims unfortunately die in hit-and-run
car accidents, in wars, in earthquakes, in famines, in
tornadoes and because of coronaviruses. God permits it all. Innocent people often have to suffer.
Does this then mean God is cruel
and heartless? Maybe God will answer
this for us in another way, but I think He already has sufficiently spoken: For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life (Jn. 3: 16). No one was more innocent and sinless than
Jesus. He is the innocent victim, par
excellence. He was scourged, crowned
with thorns, mocked, beaten, and crucified for us, for our sin. This life here on earth is not always fair,
even for the Son of God. Justice may not
occur until we are before the throne of Almighty God. Then and there, I pray, that it will all make
more sense to us.
“He committed no sin, and no deceit
was found in his mouth.”
When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did
not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins
in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for
righteousness. By his wounds you have
been healed. (1 Pt. 2: 22-24)
Why now? Connecting some dots . . .
Some strange things have been
occurring not only in society but in the Catholic Church as well. To me (and others) it seems like the
political/cultural world and the ecclesiastical/spiritual world are fighting
parallel battles. There is a spiritual
warfare occurring over souls—human souls and the collective “souls” of
nations and cultures. Sins such as
abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, assisted suicide, homosexual acts, (so-called)
same-sex “marriages,” pornography and idolatry affect not only individuals but
societies and nations as well.
Until most recently, I never
doubted that the magisterium of the Catholic Church would do anything but adamantly
teach and properly defend all moral issues and matters of faith
as it had faithfully and continuously done throughout its history. What happened in recent times? Now there seems to be a profound confusion over
permitting Holy Communion for the divorced and re-married, which was never the
case. The Amazonian Synod showcased
and scandalously celebrated what even the most-simple believer deemed pagan
elements and idolatry in the Vatican gardens, in St. Peter’s Basilica
and in other churches of Rome. We also hear
that God (actively) wills a plurality of religions—not just permits
them to exist—in direct contradiction to Jesus proclaiming that He is the
way, the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Him (see Jn. 14: 6).
Confusion triumphs over
clarity. Moral relativism dominates
objective morality. False gods find a
prominent place among the One, True God. That is, until the brakes were mysteriously pressed. Halt everything! Now!
Profound effects and
consequences of a virus: quarantine, no
Mass or sacraments, potential death
This virus has led cities and
nations to various levels of quarantine. Social distancing and shelter in place have become
familiar phrases. Certainly, we want to
stay healthy ourselves and not make other people sick—especially those who may
be more vulnerable and susceptible to illness. The spiritual consequences of this virus, however, are extremely serious. To be deprived of the Most Holy Eucharist and
Holy Mass at a time of crisis seems unthinkable. Even the thought of not having an
opportunity to have our sins forgiven, or not to be anointed if we are
seriously ill, never really seemed possible. The unthinkable has morphed into reality. May we come to treasure more fully the sacramental life of the Church, whenever we are able to receive
the sacraments regularly again. May a temporary
deprivation cause an even greater desire and love for the Most Holy Eucharist
and Holy Mass.
We
also know people will continue to die from this virus and complications
surrounding it. We should pray for them
and for their relatives and friends.
Innocent victims, unfortunately, will suffer and die. While physical death is difficult to think
about and painful to experience, Jesus reminds his followers of the following: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both
soul and body in Gehenna (Mt. 10: 28).
Final thoughts
Again, I believe God is making a Divine
Adjustment on more than one level, mysteriously permitting a virus
to get our attention at this time. With
this adjustment, there is a need for repentance and conversion of individuals, of
societies/nations and of the misdeeds of the Catholic Church.
God desires the salvation of all
people (see 1 Tim. 2:4). So, I most urgently exhort the following:
- Confess your sins sacramentally (as soon as possible). In the meantime, make an act of perfect contrition on a regular basis. Cease any and all sinful behavior. Stay in the state of grace.
- Make a Spiritual Communion with Our Lord frequently—especially since there are no public Masses in so much of the world.
- Undertake acts of reparation and do penance for the personal and societal sins that continue to offend God.
- Pray constantly, especially imploring the intercession of the Holy Mother of God. The rosary is a powerful weapon in this and every battle. Remember, Our Lady told the children of Fatima that in the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph.
I proudly profess I am staunchly loyal to the Catholic Church. I pray for the Holy Father daily. I promised my ordaining bishop (and therefore his successors) that I would teach and defend the truths of the faith and not my personal opinion. This promise certainly means I will not (knowingly) teach heresy, scandalize the faithful or will I ever tolerate any
form of idolatry in the presence of the One, True God. Neither should any deacon, priest,
bishop or pope.
Finally, I urge my bother priests
to proclaim boldly the truths of our faith and fearlessly preach the Gospel in
season and out of season, be persistent whether it is
convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience
and teaching (2 Tm. 4:2).
Years ago, when I was a very young priest, many of the more recently ordained sometimes worried about what they preached from the pulpit so that they would not offend anyone and risk the possibility of getting reprimanded by their superiors for it. The worst thing any of us could ever imagine was getting suspended and being prohibited from saying any public Masses.
Sad to say that almost all of us,
through absolutely no fault of our own, are currently there.
Christus Vincit!
March 29, 2020
5th Sunday of Lent
March 29, 2020
5th Sunday of Lent
