Be Not Afraid...and Be Not Foolish

One of the most powerful phrases Jesus says in the Gospels is, “Be not Afraid!” Some examples of this are, when the disciples faced conflict with others, he taught them about avoiding anxiety, when Peter wanted to walk with him on the water, and when Jesus appeared after the resurrection. He says the same to us in many situations today, including amidst the growing concerns about the novel coronavirus, Covid-19. It has already had serious effects on several countries around the world. The challenges it poses in other countries like our own are changing daily. Over 3,000 people have died from Covid-19 as I write this column, and we continue to pray for them, all those who are sick, all caregivers, and their loved ones.

Scientists and other professionals are concerned about new viruses not just because of our limited abilities to deal with them medically, but also because of the fear and panic such novel illnesses create. Even though the seasonal Flu kills hundreds of thousands around the world each year, our focus on this new coronavirus can lead to ex-aggerated fears of the unknown. In this context, Jesus speaks his words “be not afraid” to us to help us not cause more problems by feeding each other’s anxiety or turning this medical issue into an antagonism between fearful people. We are all on the same side here: trying to minimize the impact of these viruses on our health and the wellbeing of our society.

In addition to calming our fears, Jesus teaches us to be wise in how we deal with the things of this world. The Bible teaches us to be prudent, not foolish by disregarding reasonable precautions to minimize the spread of any virus to protect ourselves and those around us. It is in this spirit of prudence and prevention that the Archdiocese of Boston has asked us to stop shaking hands at church, including at the sign of peace, until the seasonal Flu and Covid-19 are under control. Instead, we can make a slight bow or gentle wave when we say, “Peace be with you.” Our staff and volunteers are taking other prudent steps, such as using hand sanitizer before handling the Communion hosts, and disinfecting holy water fonts regularly. We ask you to do your part, also: when you are sick, the Sunday obligation does not apply - if you have any kind of flu, please stay home to help protect others. We are blessed to have people of all ages worship with us, and some may be affected by your virus more than you are. Donating to food pantries or St. Vincent de Paul could help those just getting by if their work is interrupted. The Greatest Commandment, to love God and our neighbor, calls us to care for each other enough to sacrifice a few days of church activities. These are all reasonable, pru-dent steps for wise people of faith to take in balance with remembering to be not afraid. May the Holy Spirit guide our steps in this, and in our whole Lenten journey.