As a retired Catholic educator, I wish to share some good news in how we can affect change in a time when our Christian values are constantly being put to the test and even dismissed. 

One way of affecting positive change is bringing the gift of our Christianity to the public forum. We have an answer for those who say, “Christians need not apply.”

I have no background experience with politics, but I sincerely believe that civic participation is one of the best ways of making our society better and thus serving the common good. Indifference or discouragement are not marks of Christianity and we can replace the current darkness with the light of hope for all to see. 

On my wall is a political cartoon given to me from a former teacher. The caption shows our Lord sitting down with a child on his lap. The child asks, “Lord, what are your positions on abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, genocide …”  You can add anything else on this list that troubles your heart, and you know our Lord’s answer.

Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller was one of more than 100 Christians leaders who recently signed a public letter calling for a “compassionate and swift-based response to COVID-19.”

Nearly two million people in B.C. identify as Christian, and the vast majority are active in their Christian faith and church communities. We are obviously called to love and support our society during this pandemic not only with our prayers, but also with our actions.

I humbly ask that you consider doing the same now with civic participation and not retreating from the public forum. Now is the time more than ever to engage with and influence the direction of Canadian society.

Please share this message with your friends to help bring our large numbers to all political parties and reflect Christian social principles. The goal is to be informed and to elect officials who hold our Christian principles to all levels of government and in all major parties.

The Christian Civic Affairs Committees of Canada are helping us in taking the first steps. Please take a moment to follow them as we seek compassionate, open-minded, principled individuals wanting to make positive change.

Jim Canil
Delta


Many of us are struggling through the challenges of COVID-19, and now an economic recession is creeping up on us. Some of you might feel a little helpless, frustrated, or even upset by the sequence of events that led us to this point. 

I would like to offer some hope and a chance to regain some of your lost optimism. While choosing the right political party can be confusing, one that tends to align better than others with our Catholic faith is the Conservative Party of Canada, the official opposition in this Parliament. Friday, May 15, is the deadline for becoming a party member in order to be eligible to vote for the next Conservative leader in August. Some of you may want to purchase a membership.

Why? This is an opportunity for your concerns to be addressed and your voice heard. As Catholics we should strive to support the best political candidates based on our moral conscience, rooted in Church teachings. Issues of life, family, and religious freedom should help us in our selection of the right candidate who, in this case, may ultimately be leader of our country. While matters of personal safety, massive federal debt, and our struggling economy are very important, our Christian beliefs should lead us in our decision making. 

When I speak with people about the importance of this leadership race, some tell me, “I will be sure to vote for them in the next federal election.” Unfortunately, this may not be an option. We may not necessarily end up with a leader who strongly supports our Christian values and morals unless we are prepared to support them first in this leadership race. It is important to get a party membership if you wish to vote for your candidate of choice.  

I encourage everyone to look for qualities of integrity, honesty, transparency, and compassion. The “right” leader will not only bring security to our future, but that of our children and grandchildren. Please take a moment to research the candidates, their platforms, and how they relate to our Catholic beliefs.

John Banovich
Surrey


Thank you to all the priests for expressing how much they miss their parishioners and their words of encouragement to all of us.

There are two parishes in Vancouver that I am aware of where the pastor and his staff have come up with very creative ideas to connect with their folks.

Father Justin Huang of St. Anthony of Padua in Vancouver has his Sunday Masses on Zoom. Together with the Mass, there is a chat box where his people can type in simple, short messages. After Mass, Father Justin appears and reads messages and responds to them. I find this very comforting and in this way he is able to communicate with all his parishioners.

At the Chinese church St. Francis Xavier, the daily Mass is on Zoom. Every week day after Mass, the pastor Father Joseph Chi Hung Ly sets aside time to let parishioners have a chat with him. There are Cantonese and Mandarin speaking parishioners, and each group has a different time. For those unable to have a time slot with him, he will call each family individually. He also sets aside time to pray for the end of COVID-19 together with his parishioners.

Father Ly and his staff also took care of parishioners in the local retirement home Happy Manor. They bought a large TV and set it up in the sitting room so Catholic residents can watch daily Mass and adoration seven days a week. As a resident, I am very grateful for what they have done for us.

Deacon Richard Conlin of Holy Rosary Cathedral is hosting a Bible Study every Monday night on Zoom. In this way we can deepen our faith. If you want to join, call the cathedral office to register.

Joan Pan
Vancouver

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a strange Easter. We are asked to keep apart from each other and quarantine at home. Around the world, millions of people have been infected, and hundreds of thousands have died. Churches have closed their doors to avoid contagion.

It was all so unexpected. Two thousand years ago, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two when Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last, symbolizing how we could get closer to God, when previously only the high priest could enter the sanctuary. Now we are going in the reverse direction and the churches are being emptied.  

But God knows everything in advance. He allowed electronic and scientific development to flourish at a fast pace in recent decades, and now almost everyone, including teenagers, has a cell phone.

Because of this, everyone can get closer together spiritually – online. We are not bound by space, or by time, adjusting our spiritual needs to suit our schedule.

Dioceses around the world are livestreaming their Mass celebrations, and in Vancouver we even had a livestream Mysterium Fidei Lenten retreat. It was marvellous. By the Holy Spirit, we got a chance to have a deeper understanding of the meaning of Holy Week and its liturgy and to prepare ourselves at home as a domestic Church.

The Church never stops. The Church tries to keep moving forward through all possible spiritual and charitable activities. All these are the works of the Holy Spirit who lives among us.

We the laity, following Christ, should expect not that everything in life will go smoothly but that because of God’s love we can be steadfast in our faith and tolerate all kinds of tribulations. For salvation, glory, and might belong to our God (Rev 19:1).

Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Come, Holy Spirit! Please come quickly to end the pandemic. Come Holy Spirit! Inspire researchers to find a vaccine to treat COVID-19. Amen.

Talisa Chan
Vancouver


Thank you to Alan Charlton for his recent articles recommending classic films. My husband and I have been working our way through them and have enjoyed them immensely.

We have a relatively screen-minimal home with four children aged 7 and under who have only ever watched Mr. Dressup, Mr. Rogers, two episodes of The Three Stooges (repeatedly), and the 1980s stop-motion film Wind in the Willows.

We were hoping to introduce some movies, but upon previewing them have found many films (classic and not-so) to simply be too old for our crew.

Could you recommend some titles for children (perhaps based on age) if one wishes to introduce kids to good classic films (leaving out Pixar). I’d like to include Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, but am overwhelmed by the options. (Plus, we previewed Chaplin’s The Kid and were more than a little disturbed by the opening scenes to consider showing this.)

We’re not sure if this would be article worthy, but if Alan Charlton has any recommendations it would be appreciated. I’ve looked online for lists and have been disappointed by the recommendations.

Cristina Drego
North Vancouver

(You might also be interested in David Baird’s Feb. 24 look at the Vatican’s top film list — Editor.)

Submit letters to the editor at bccatholic.ca/letterstotheeditor or email letters@rcav.org.