Tomorrow is Palm Sunday.  As we enter into another Holy Week that seems far from "normal," I probably have more questions than answers.  However, these questions, and lack of answers, are impacting your life and mine.  We have now surpassed a year into "two weeks to flatten the curve."  Will you participate in Holy Week services in person?

I probably spend more time on social media than I should.  However, it keeps me looking at things from a variety of angles as I read the differing viewpoints on almost any topic imaginable.  Let's face it.  There is no staying out of politics.  Politics has inserted itself into every facet of our lives.  The topic does not matter.  It is now political.

Why does any of this matter from a faith perspective?  First of all, I would ask how many times have you heard that the Church should stay out of politics?  If every moral issue is now a political football, how can the Church stay out of politics?  It impacts what we teach, how we pray, and how we serve as we continue the preaching, teaching, and healing ministry of Christ.

There are many issues in modern society that are viewed through the ideological lens of the political party one more closely aligns with on a regular basis.  Thus, even a simple press conference generates polar opposite viewpoints and assessments.  One party states that it was so good to have a respectable person addressing reporters versus the last four years.  The other party sees an individual who is in mental and physical decline.  They are fearful of our enemies taking advantage of us due to a diminished person in the White House.  Some even said that it is elder abuse in the way the president is being handled.  (Are there any "mandatory reporters" in Washington who feel a sense of dilemma at this situation?)  Same press conference--totally opposite conclusions.

Wearing a mask--is it helpful or is it not? 
Social distancing--yes or no?  (As an introvert--yes!)
The vaccine--yes or no?

You have all seen the news clips.  People getting into brawls over mask-wearing no longer seems unusual.  Social distancing--I am sure my readers in Missouri remember the national headlines being made by people having fun at the Lake of the Ozarks last summer.  The question was somewhat humorous last year, but seems more daunting a year later.  "Will the government let us out of lock down so we can celebrate our independence on July 4?"  Will "Party Cove" make national headlines again this year?

The vaccine has many issues attached to it.  First of all, who gets credit for it?  Depending upon who is addressing the issue, credit goes to either the previous administration or the current one.  Wow! Imagine that.

Is the vaccine harmful?  Was it made with aborted fetal tissue?  Will it make me infertile? (People who have read the information posted on the website of the Bill Gates Foundation understand why this question needs to be asked.  Others just think it is a crazy question.)  If we are honest, it is now difficult to ascertain what is medical science and what is politics (or business).  Who has earned substantial profits from the vaccine and all of the personal protective equipment sold in the last year?

All of these things matter in regard to the impact on the Church and God's people.  We missed last Easter.  There are still locations that are going to miss Easter this year too.  Some are limiting space, requiring advance sign-ups, etc.  Once again, one side generally approves of safety at any cost.  The other side worries about the loss  of freedom and the increased control and power of the government over our inalienable rights.

I have touched on the topic of mental health many times during the course of the pandemic.  The isolation and lack of support from the usual people, places, and things in our lives has had a detrimental effect on the mental well-being of a lot of people.  The anecdotal stories abound.  Hard statistics will show up eventually down the road.  We will feel the consequences of the pandemic for years to come on multiple levels.

My questions for Church leadership remain the same:

1. When will we open up our Catholic hospitals and nursing homes to allow families to visit more openly?  Dying from loneliness and isolation cannot continue to be tolerated out of fear of the virus.  I have even heard of a person being on hospice with a week to ten days to live, and the family still struggled to be allowed in to see their loved one.  Seriously?

2. How will we start resuming faithfully teaching and preaching God's Word in more than a live-stream format?  When will we resume retreats, days of recollection, and parish missions again?

3.  This Holy Week, I have one overarching question. Do we believe in the power of Almighty God?  If so, let's start living like we truly believe it.