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By Chris Quilpa

Let’s pray for our beloved dead, our sick brothers and sisters, and all of us who continue to battle and hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic that has turned our world upside down.

How do we respond to the ongoing pandemic that has plagued us and continues to linger? With reason, prudence and reliance on God!

Preparedness is always a good practice in any crisis. Having basic supplies and essential items at home, such as nonperishable foods, paper products and prescription medications, and cleaning items like soap and disinfectants, is a common sense practice.

Practice prudence. To be prudent means to act or show good, careful decision or judgment for the future or when handling practical matters or crises, such as how to deal with the pandemic.

With the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing normal flu season, precautions, policies and recommendations (from health authorities and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are important tasks for everyone, for the common good. They are designed to decrease or prevent the spread of illness or disease.

Washing hands frequently with soap and water and using hand sanitizers are simple tasks for everyone. Wearing masks and social distancing are a must, especially when in public and closed space gatherings. And of course, getting vaccinations and booster shots, especially for the seniors who are vulnerable to any type of diseases.

Other important considerations for everyone to take: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you’re sick, except to get medical care. If you feel your illness is getting worse or believe you’re not getting better, go see your doctor.

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily — tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, cabinet handles — with alcohol wipes or a regular household detergent and water. If surfaces are dirty, clean them using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.

Choose a room and bathroom in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy.

Trust in and pray to God. Fear and anxiety may overwhelm us, while dealing with the pandemic, seasonal flu, common colds and other crises beyond our understanding, intelligence and knowledge. Our complete trust in God, through his Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is all we have to do, after all the actions, efforts, prudence, precautions and recommendations we’ve taken to fight off the COVID-19 pandemic that has been lingering globally for more than two years.

Our prayers can do wonders, not only for yourself but also for others. We have to pray to God for others. After all, we are one big human family. In our prayer, we ask for the intercession of all saints, who were once sinners, like us, so our prayers become meaningful and effective. Pour out our heartaches and pains, sacrifices and sufferings to our loving God.

In his letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 6, St. Paul instructed us to “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition (or supplication), with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

With our faith or trust in, and prayer, and thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ, we can experience healing and peace, mercy and love, comfort and compassion with others. Our faith and common sense practices are, henceforth, crucial to our survival in dealing with the pandemic and other crises befalling us all.

Let us pray…and give thanks to God. May God bless us all always.

 

Chris A. Quilpa, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, lives in Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.