The importance of the Catholic faith in light of COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has not just threatened the physical health of millions but also inflicted havoc on the emotional and mental well-being of people throughout the world. Feelings of consternation, vulnerability and grief are rising as people face an increasingly uncertain future and nearly everyone has been touched by loss.

The entire community is affected in one way or another by the virus raging throughout the world.  For many, this may be a challenge to our faith and our understanding. It may have taken away our chance to come together as a Catholic community to celebrate our faith through the Holy Mass, however, this does not mean that our faith should be put on hold.

Our faith in God is the best way we can cope through these disturbing times. It gives us the strength and stability to overcome these challenges we face every day. We learn that God watches over us and protects us, in our every step, which means that, it is important to keep our trust in him. It is clearly stated in the bible that our Lord will protect us; Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.’ This shows us that the Lord will protect us during the times of trouble, therefore in the midst of this pandemic, we should strengthen our faith and complete actions pleasing to God.

We need to believe that the Lord will help us and put our whole trust in him because in Genesis 1:1 it says this ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ When life gets difficult it can be easy for our minds to think why is this happening or why are things going wrong, steering you away in a different direction making you feel like you are not in control. When this happens, we need to trust in the Lord; He has created the heavens, the earth, the seas and the skies as well as YOU and everything in your life, therefore if you feel like you are not in control, it is because you are not. God is in control.

During this global pandemic, there are many ways in which we can maintain our faith. These are some of the things I have done myself to stay close to God… Primarily, I have been attending digital mass everyday celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist spiritually, since I cannot receive Jesus sacramentally. I know that Jesus comes to me spiritually into my heart. This helps me strengthen my relationship with God, which further aids me in this pandemic.

Some say this virus is a result of our faithlessness, and a call to repentance. Others say our reaction to it is an example of faithlessness. One thing is for certain: this is a call to faith as all adversity should be, but it is also a call to repentance as it should remind us of our frailty and mortality. Either way, we must pray and stay close to God, so that we can maintain our faith. Uneasiness, anxiety, and living in fear will not determine anything. Faith in God is the answer, faith that everything will be fine in the end. This is how our catholic faith is paramount during this COVID 19 Pandemic.

Stay home, pray at home and trust in the Lord!