Through the pandemic we have often heard words of gratitude for our first responders. Now I’d like to express my gratitude to our “last responders,” those who care for the dead and the families affected. This includes the staff at the Archdiocesan Gardens of Gethsemani cemetery, Lower Mainland cemeteries, as well as staff at our family independent funeral homes who are partners. Last responders also includes workers in palliative and hospice care as well as bereavement counselling support personnel.
I appreciate the dedication and compassionate care of all these professionals.
Peter Nobes
Director Gardens of Gethsemani Cemetery
British Columbia’s health authorities are applying their expertise to the best information available. The result is a balance between doing too little or too much. God will meet us anywhere and anytime we want. For a relatively short time we can forgo the need for assembling as congregations.
Joe Wurz
North Vancouver
So much has been written recently about discrimination by the government against religion, and I agree with the sentiments.
The problem is that the culture does not believe in objective truth and cannot distinguish good from evil. We live in a culture that is becoming more and more secular and all the politicians and the powers that be belong in this category. No wonder then that they cannot even begin to understand how people of faith feel when they are deprived of regular worship.
It is so sad that these officials do not know Jesus and have no faith. If only we could introduce them to the basic truths of creation as described in Ralph Martin’s recent book A Church in Crisis: Sin and Forgiveness – Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation, the Resurrection, all the aid in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the sacraments, and finally the second coming and final judgment – maybe they would think differently.
Martin says these truths must be constantly renewed even in our own lives and the lives of those we are liable for. It is our responsibility then to bring all these truths to the attention of those who are ignorant of it. Maybe we should invite Premier John Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry to our Alpha program, especially now that it is virtual and online?
Doris Joseph
Vancouver
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