Ray Cardello. February 21, 2021

I was not sure where this post would take me today but I felt I needed to write something positive and uplifting after such a tumultuous few weeks. Being Sunday, I began to think about how the Church has struggled to keep up with their mission during this seemingly never ending Pandemic. Sadly, it appears that they have had to be very creative in adopting a whole new approach to reach their flock. I say sadly, because I think that religion, all faiths and denominations, has been hit the hardest by restrictions and mandates from all levels of government. Religion is a face to face, strength and unity of community, a sense of higher purpose entity. It has always been one of our most cherished rights, given to us by our creator not by any body of government. It was the reason this great experiment called America even came to be.

I am a Spiritual person but not a Religious person. But that does not mean that I cannot be an ardent supporter of everyone’s right to be either….or neither. Religion has been under attack but they have one weapon in their arsenal that will beat back anything thrown their way and that is Faith. It is that Faith and a need to serve and comfort their followers that they have come up with unique methods to survive during this past year and when all of this is behind us, when the masks, no matter how many we are wearing, come off, Religion may be stronger than ever. We may all turn back to a higher power, to unite us when mortal man could not.

I have to confess, interesting use of a word, when I saw the ad on Amazon for prepackaged Celebration Cups, I smiled and thought it was amusing but then I realized how creative we can become when a need arises. Yes, somebody is making money off the process but that is okay, there is a need and someone is helping to satisfy it. Maybe someday soon, these kits, along with millions of designer masks, may be seen only on close out sections or thrift stores for there will no longer be a need for them. For now, thank God someone is thinking outside the box.

So today, whether it is online services, drive up churches, social distanced reservation only masses or even drive through confessionals, the many different places of worship are showing they can adapt and survive. They have Faith and we need to have Faith in them, that they will be there for whoever needs them on the other side of the Pandemic. We do not know what Normal will look like in the times ahead. We do know it will be different. What we also know, because we have Faith, is that someday soon we will get back to a Sign of Peace and not be afraid of the person with the outstretched hand. We will accept it and be glad to once again feel the warmth of another person’s hand of faith.

Happy Sunday everyone and God Bless