Dear Parishioners:
The First Communion Classes are taking the "Fifty-Three Week Challenge." The challenge is to faithfully attend Mass every Sunday successively for fifty-two weeks following the 1st Communion Mass. On the fifty-third week, they receive a special gift to recognize their fidelity to Christ and Holy Mass. This challenge is a fun way to be faithful and develop the good habit of attending Mass every week.
Recently Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican, issued a letter to the bishops of the world. The letter entitled "We Must Return to the Eucharist," addresses the COVID Global Pandemic and the celebration of Public Masses.
The Cardinal suggests that "as soon as circumstances permit, it is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life, which has the church building as its home and the celebration of the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, as 'the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; and at the same time is the font from which all her power flows.'"
In other words, it's time to return in person to Sunday Mass. Of course, those parishioners who are at risk due to age, health conditions, or infirmity should stay safe and remain home. We remain in spiritual communion with them during the live-stream Mass as we pray with and for them.
However, you don’t have to go too far to see restaurants, grocery and department stores, liquor stores, beaches, and golf courses with a lot of people there. It is certainly safe, if not safer, to attend Mass on Sunday as go to Target, Thorpe's, La Masseria, or Dave's Market.
In fact, a recent article in Real Clear Science, entitled "Evidence-Based Guidelines to Celebrate Mass Safely Are Working", examined safe Mass attendance. It states: "Catholic churches across the country have been open for up to four months since shelter-in-place orders were lifted. With approximately 17,000 parishes in America typically holding three or more weekend masses - and a greater number of daily Masses - for the last 14 or more weeks - over one million public masses have been celebrated following guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus: in sum, follow the three W's - watch your distance, wear your mask, and wash your hands.
The Good News: for Catholic churches following these guidelines, no outbreaks of COVID-19 have been linked to church attendance, even though we have examples some described below of asymptomatic, unknowingly infected individuals attending Mass and other parish functions. Their attendance could have led to an outbreak if appropriate precautions were not followed, yet in each case, we found no evidence of viral transmission."
We follow the "Three Ws" at Mass. We watch our distance. We wear a mask. We wash our hands. We also sanitize the church building after every Mass and public event. OLM is indeed a safe place to pray and praise and worship God! While the number of parishioners attending Sunday Mass is steadily increasing, many parishioners not at risk are not coming regularly. Without a doubt we learned some good habits during this pandemic about staying safe and healthy but bad habits were also learned!
Among these bad habits is not faithfully attending Mass in person if not at risk and freely able to do so. The live-stream Mass on Sunday is for those parishioners who because of age, health or infirmity, should not attend but remain safe at home. It’s not meant to watch at the kitchen table while eating pancakes with the kids and then running off to the soccer game or golf course. We should begin again the good habit of attending Mass in person each Sunday.
Come and receive Christ truly present in Holy Communion. It's safe. It's easy. It is as St. Pius X said: "the shortest and safest way to heaven."
Why not take up the "Fifty-Three Week Challenge" with our First Communion Class! The benefit you receive just might be heavenly!
Saturday Confessions at 4:00 pm and the Sunday 9:00 am Mass resume again next weekend. So there is plenty of chance to get to Confession and Mass at OLM!!!! Come back to Christ truly present at Mass!!
Stay safe. Be Well. Do Good! God Bless. Go Pats!!!!