An Obligation of Love

This past week I arrived at my sister’s for dinner as my brother-in-law was virtually attending the mandatory parent meeting of one of our Catholic high schools. During the Covid briefing the principal noted that 99% of their faculty and staff were vaccinated and 49% of the students. Safety Dad was appalled that it wasn’t even half of students. Frankly, so was I. Pope Francis has repeatedly asked people to get vaccinated. He calls it a “moral obligation.” This too is an obligation of love. Love for our neighbor. The vaccine has never been just about protecting ME. It’s about protecting US.

The Ad Council (the people behind public service ads -remember the crying Native American?) released this one with Pope Francis this week. He and a number of bishops from the Americas ask us to get the vaccine as an act of love.

“Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other, especially the most vulnerable. I pray to God that everyone may contribute their own small grain of sand, their own small gesture of love; no matter how small, love is always great. Contribute with these small gestures for a better future. God bless you, and thank you,” he said.

I’ll be away during the week next week but back for the weekend. See y’all then.

-Fr Lou