The good news is: I finally got a haircut last night!
And, just like in other states in the US, Governor Sisolak of Nevada has lifted the lockdown on restaurants, casinos, salons, barber shops, retail stores, etc., as long as they follow the guidelines the State has set forth with regard to social distancing, or by appointments only in some cases, so that only 50% of customers are allowed at a time inside the business establishments; people must wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking, of course; plus other guidelines that are necessary, or had been mandated by the State of Nevada in order to avoid getting infected from the coronavirus.
But what happened to Churches, or other Houses of Worship, especially today, on Mother's Day? Why are they still on lockdown (maybe until the end of May, according to our pastor and friend Fr. Nadim of St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church of Las Vegas, who was kind enough to give us Holy Communion on Saturdays or Sundays, albeit surreptitiously on the road, and outside the hidden church gates and parking lot; otherwise he, or we could get warned, or fined by the police if they see us violating Sisolaks's orders?)
On top of that, we still have to stream the Sunday Mass online, or watch it on EWTN by matching its Eastern Standard Time live broadcast, and learn some form of catechesis by listening to the Celebrant's readings from the Sacred Scriptures and his Homily, in order to have a semblance of the unabridged or complete Mass, which consists of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
And yet, no matter how devoted you are in taking risk and time into receiving Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior in the Holy Eucharist, by eschewing lockdown and venturing outside your home, instead of mere spiritual communion in the comforts of your family room in front of the TV or computer screen, there was still that feeling of something missing, by the end of that effort.
Anyway, I find the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacred Eucharist, and not just simply bread or wine representing His Body & Blood during the Last Supper, like the Protestant Christians believe, or consider the Holy Eucharist as one of the two pillars (the other is the Mother of God, or Blessed Virgin Mary,) that kept the foundation of the Catholic Church withstand the attacks of Satan since he fell from God's grace. However, the reception of Jesus Christ after every Holy Communion without the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation, and streaming the Sunday Sacred Liturgy online later, was rather inconceivable, incongruous, impersonal, and incomplete for me.
Maybe the all too familiar stress that came with this pandemic among the most vulnerable seniors like me, when I saw them stricken and dying like flies online or on TV (especially those in nursing homes, or 1/2 of the total 25,000+ deaths in New York City alone, who were thrown into communal ditches in upstate New York because family members had no recourse to give them proper burial due to social distancing, or in order to avoid getting sick themselves,) has come to haunt me.
No wonder our son Osbert reminded us to refrain from watching too much news about the coronavirus in order to avoid getting stressed and depressed, particularly those who committed suicide, including doctors, nurses, and first responders by the way, who succumbed to the pressures of their jobs by getting depressed or infected themselves, while being in the forefront of this war against this global infection and disease.
While I truly believe that these medical staff members are the true heroes of our times, who deserve not just recognition and applause, but additional remunerations for testing, or taking care of us and our loved ones during this pandemic, they, more than anybody else, deserve a chance to go to Churches or Houses of Worship of their own choosing, because according to a study done on them, 67% of women and 33% of men were able to overcome depression, drugs and alcohol, or even thinking of committing suicide while doing their very stressful jobs, if they regularly attend Church Service, at least once a week.
But why are Churches or Houses of Worship on lockdown anyway? Aren't our eternal or spiritual needs just as essential, if not more so than Cosco, Walmart or other supermarkets, pharmacies, liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries, and abortion clinics? As a human person, don't I have indefeasible rights that cannot be defeated or trampled upon with regard to my eternal need for God in my life in order to survive death, not just the temporal needs of my body as an individual in the hospital or this earthly life, which is temporary, finite, and inevitably mutable anyway, but also to prepare for my resurrection and ascension in the Lord, when the time comes?
Or, have we become too jaded and doubtful of what's happening in our Church today, which was exacerbated by this pandemic, that we lost the Credo of our Faith that says: I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
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