A Blessed and Happy Easter Season to all our readers and friends, wherever they may be. Although today is the Monday after Easter, this is being written on the very day of the Resurrection of our Lord, hence the prayers and wishes are included in the blessings of the holy days. What did you, my dear readers, pray for and plead with our Lord and Savior on His resurrection day? Did you plead with Him to heed our prayers for the departure of this mysterious pandemic that has stricken so many parts of His Creation?
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Personally, I felt very much blessed when I chanced upon a sermon of the late, but much honored and admired Bishop Fulton Sheen on Good Friday. Oh, what a powerful and gifted minister of the Lord he was, and, I believe, continues to be, through the dozens of books he has written which continue to inspire many to the priesthood. I can only wonder how many conversions happened through him, with his eloquence and sincerity. I hope and pray that there are moves for his canonization.
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But I was happy to note that despite the fact that our usual rituals for the Holy Week were not observed this season, still our people appeared to be observing it by avoiding their usual celebrations and I am sure the Good Lord will accept their avoidance of merrymaking as penance in observance of the days leading to His passion and death. I think it is also because they realize that only God has the power to save us from the effects of this pandemic and He has done so by inspiring the ones who have produced the vaccines that are proving successful against it.
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Until now, I still cannot fathom what the scientists from the World Health Organization mean when the team that went to China to probe into the source of the coronavirus reported that it did not come from a laboratory, as many had suspected, but from an animal. And yet they have not identified what animal was the carrier that could have spread its virus virtually worldwide. Some students have conjectured that it could have been a bat. Shades of Dracula!
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I heard that President Duterte has given the go-signal to the private sector to buy their vaccines. I guess he is referring to private hospitals and medical centers to enable them to vaccinate as many people as possible, since government hospitals and frontliners certainly cannot cope with everyone all over the country. At the same time, however, he is also warning against people being hoodwinked by those conscienceless ones who may be producing fake vaccines. I hope there is an agency that will certify as to the genuineness and efficacy of whatever vaccine is presented.
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And I hope that the producers of those fake ones will feel the wrath of God, because theirs is one of the sins “ that cry to heaven for vengeance”. During this time of pandemic when people are not only afraid but also feeling helpless, those who attempt to trick them surely deserve to suffer in the fires of hell. Meanwhile, I have not, so far, gotten any news about how effective they are. Have they succeeded 100 percent? I cannot tell, because I have not, so far, met anyone who had been vaccinated who could confirm its efficacy.
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I heard, though, that in India, they are still celebrating their major festivals, and even weddings. Well, maybe the virus has not been very wicked to them, but whatever is their secret for being able to hold gatherings without fear, I hope they will share it with the rest of the world. People now are longing for the good old days when they can gather and enjoy each other’s company even without any occasion to celebrate. But, for us, who are virtually frozen in fear, no celebration is worth taking the risk of an infection. So let us consider these days of separation or isolation as part of the penance for the Holy Week just past.
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While the rest of the world is trying to cope with this pandemic, the people of Myanmar are suffering from the wickedness of their own military that has taken over their government. It seems their condition now is worse than Martial Law because the military seems to have no qualms about punishing those who try to get away, or are not cooperating with them. Those who try to escape are gunned down, and, believe it or not, some have tried to flee by swimming! Can the United Nations not do something to help the poor citizens of Myanmar? We, who have survived our own version of Martial Law under our unlamented late dictator, should feel the deepest sympathy, and pray for them.*
