Will There Be Faith?

   In this very unusual year most of Lent was spent without the ability to meet and worship as the people of Christ at our churches.  The great celebration of Easter was one of isolation and separation from those we love and from our church families.  Divine Mercy Sunday was even more appropriate this year as the world deals with the pandemic.

   I can’t help but wonder what impact this will have when we return to whatever normal may be.  Will we enthusiastically return to Mass, hungering for the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist?  Or will we decide internet or televised services are sufficient?  Will we rejoice to be able to join our Christian brothers and sisters in communal worship and praise of God or decide that stay at home services are so much more convenient?  Even more troubling, will many just give up and quit worshiping altogether?

   For quite some time now the “nones”, those with no religious preference, have been growing while church attendance has gone down.  In the Catholic Church it is estimated that close to seventy-five percent of self-proclaimed Catholics no longer attend Mass.  I suspect the same applies to those who claim Christianity of any form but no longer attend church.  Will these numbers grow while the number of the faithful continue to decrease?  Only time will tell.

   I believe we are at a water-shed moment in Christianity.  Will this pandemic remind us of our own mortality and help us understand our need for God and salvation or will it further reduce the number of faithful Christians?  Christ asked, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8).  How will we answer?

Lord this has been a difficult time.

Help us turn to You and trust.

Strengthen our faith.

Give us greater hope in You.

Amen