Believers have always been exposed to diseases and epidemics throughout the ages. What does the Church do about it?
The Church activates communion with God in the life of the faithful whenever a danger threatens the people, be it wars, diseases, calamities and the like, by holding prayers, vigils, and processions with the Holy Life-Giving Cross, the sacred icons and relics of the saints. In addition, it has recourse to anointing believers with holy oil, sprinkling homes and places with holy water and drinking from it, and most of all to partaking in the Most-Sacred Body and Blood of our Lord.
Paraclisis to the Mother of God, Akathists and other prayers can be used at all times in any need.
In return, the Church affirms its respect for science which is useful to humankind, and has known a large group of doctor saints such as Elian of Homs, Pandeleimon the Healer, the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Saint Luke the Confessor, and others. To this day, many struggling faithful and ministers serve the church as doctors, teachers, researchers, and men of knowledge, following the same path.
Of course, in epidemics, maintaining cleanliness and taking all necessary preventive measures are a must. However, we must not forget our faithful side and the constant effort to unity with God.
One might fall in a temptation, here and there, and avoid coming to Church from fear of getting infected by touch, by Holy Communion, or by being present in a gathering.
The secular media may also be nurturing the idea of avoiding to go to church, using systematic creepy and frequent insinuations, by various means such as films, animation in addition to daily bombing us daily with many ideas that disperse our thoughts and destroy our families. Humankind has become prisoners of a demonic scheme, being controlled by fear and panic.
At this point, we recall the words of St Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6: 68)
The bottom line is that the Church believes that Jesus is life, and she prays with hope, asking the Lord for the healing of the soul and body, and that the schemes of Satan not distract us, taking us away from God’s salvation prepared for us since the foundation of the world.
— Source: Antioch Patriarchate / Facebook