Thank You to Everyone Who Made Christmas Extra Special! So many people made the Christmas season special for our priests, staff, and parishioners. Thank you to all who brought in goodies and gifts for the staff and priests. We truly feel loved in the Muncie Catholic Family! And to those who gave of your time to decorate, provide music, greet others, serve as liturgical ministers, and create beautiful welcoming spaces for us to celebrate Christ’s birth… God bless you for your generosity and kindness. May God bless you all in this New Year! I thought COVID would be gone by now! I’m as tired as you are of hearing about COVID. I share your frustration that we have to consider things like vaccines and face coverings. It is exhausting and polarizing! But, it has given us each an opportunity to carefully examine our faith in God, what we believe, and how we live in relation to other people. While we continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, we also have an opportunity to look to ways we can charitably live, as Christ lived. This virus is stressing our healthcare system, impacting the long-term health of so many, has resulted in an alarming number of heartbreaking deaths, left people alone for long periods of time, and is now landing children in the ICU. We have the opportunity to express charity for the health and well-being of others, particularly those most vulnerable – and those who care for the ill. We also have an opportunity to be pro-life as we act with the consideration for the health and well-being of others. What can we do to share Christ’s love by caring for another? 1. Medical experts are recommending face coverings as an effective and charitable way to prevent the spread of this virus to another. This is worth our attention as Catholics. 2. Catholic ethics experts have studied current vaccines, and have deemed it morally permissible for Catholics to receive them. In fact Pope Francis even encourages us to get vaccinated. 3. Look out for those who are alone. Calls to shut-ins and those in the nursing homes are a great way to extend the love of Christ. 4. Pray, pray, pray!