How Should Catholics Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Fr. Mike gives us some advice about how we should respond to the
coronavirus pandemic. He begins with the story of the recent
pilgrimage he took to Israel amid the coronavirus outbreak. Israeli
authorities were quarantining people in the country and canceling
all flights except for citizens. Fr. Mike had to rush with his
pilgrims and tour company to figure out what to do about their
scheduled pilgrimage. At the very last minute, the tour company
found a flight to Istanbul that allowed eight pilgrims, including
Fr. Mike, to flee Tel Aviv. After successfully making it back home,
he found that the original flight they had booked home was never
cancelled. Moral of the story: everything’s a gamble. Some people,
deeply convicted to speak the truth, may believe the reaction to
COVID-19 is all for nothing, and that there is no need to cancel
flights and even Masses. To those people, Fr. Mike asks, are we
just being a critic toward those who have to make difficult
choices? Worry, anxiety, fear and living in the what ifs won’t
solve anything. Faith in God is the answer, faith that everything
will turn out all right in the end. 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. How coincidental that we should be reminded of these
things during Lent, which begins by telling us “You are dust and to
dust you shall return,” and “Repent and believe in the gospel.” We
can find a positive and negative side to any situation. How can we
find the blessings amid this adversity? Pray. Be grateful. And
cover your mouth when you cough.