My dear people who are hesitant to get the COVID vaccine. I get it. I do.
I’m the type of person to eschew pain medication until I can’t tolerate it anymore. I’ll let my fever ride hoping my body can deal with that little bug all on its own. I trust my body, and so I try to let it do the work.
Up until a point.
Once my fever hits a certain level, I treat it, because I can tell that my body needs outside help. Christianity has taught me that it is necessary to accept help from others acting in God’s stead. Christianity has also taught me that it is necessary to give help to our most vulnerable populations.
Right now, the communal body of the world needs help.
And God gave us a miracle through the hands of experts: a vaccine.
Our bodies are not equipped to deal with this particular virus all on our own. It is wiping us out, and I’m scared.
If you’re scared of this vaccine, dm me. I’ll listen.
If you are unable to get vaccinated, I will do my best to protect you by keeping my vaccinations up to date and to mask when requested.
If you are choosing not to get vaccinated because you believe the Catholic Church is telling you not to, let’s have a sit down, because what you’ve been told is not true.
If you are fighting against mandatory masking in schools with kids under 12, I do not understand.
At all.
These children are our most vulnerable and we should be doing everything in our power to protect them.
The Pope, Catholic Social Teaching, and scripture all point to keeping the communal good at the forefront of our minds when making decisions. Our faith is littered with signposts that proclaim the way to heaven is hand in hand with others.
What this means is that our freedom is not for individual rights, but so that we are free to do the will of God. God tells us that his will is to bring life and beauty and goodness to the world, and he needs our help.
Right now, this means getting vaccinated if you can, and wearing a mask if you can not.
I do not understand the argument for keeping unvaccinated kids out of masks in a school environment. It makes no sense. Why were we willing, as a country, to protect them last year when we were all in danger, but no longer willing to protect them, now, when they are the ones left in danger?
I think we can agree that our kids are better off in school, but to keep them there we need people vaccinated if they can be and masked if they can’t. There is no way around this.
This year, I am in the classroom, and the only reason I am willing to even teach in person is because of the vaccine and because we are allowed to mask.
I love your kids, and I would never show up and put them in danger unvaccinated and unmasked. I hope you would do the same for me and mine.
god forever tries 