Memo from Msgr. Raun- Monday June 22nd, 2020
| My dear family, Greetings in the Lord Jesus! Ways to Find Peace While Transitioning out of Quarantine Not All Circumstances Look the Same “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 For some, these past two months brought a welcome change. Our country tends to emphasize finding joy and identity in being busy. Schedules fill up with sports activities, church programming, 24-7 work access, social appointments, and school events. Having an empty schedule can seem counter-cultural. When life’s bustling rhythms came to a halt, it pushed some people to evaluate the foundation of their lives. As a result, the opportunity arose to make changes in lifestyle. Families bonded over puzzles, cooking, and board games. As we anticipate returning to a form of “normal,” some may wonder how they can reconcile their welcomed quarantined routines with a return to their previous ones. Others, who have been unable to work or have experienced challenging circumstances look forward to moving according to a more structured and stable pace. They look forward to attaining financial stability, finding workplace or school respite as restorative and being able to reconnect with friends and family. We must remember that we all have different narratives and they influence our perception of another “new dimension.” A MILESTONE REACHED: This past Sunday, at the 11 am Mass, we hit our limit of 250 people at Mass. That is wonderful. Of course the sad thing is that we had to tell a few people to come back later or listen on their car radio and then receive Holy Communion at the end of Mass. So - if you are soon considering returning to Mass, please consider a Mass other than the 11 am. None of our other Masses have reached the limit given to us by the Governor of 250. While the Mass obligation is still suspended (that is, at this time it is not a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday), I want to encourage everyone who does not consider themselves "high-risk" to start returning to Mass for the love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Part of this will require patience and love as we find a Mass that is not yet full for us to attend. Our FM radio broadcast of the Mass on 106.5 FM worked at some Masses and not at others. We are trying to work the kinks out of it and will give it another shot this Sunday. It makes me so happy to see more and more people returning to Mass, and I thank you for your understanding as we figure out how to do things in this strange world we are living in! REMEMBER OUR UPCOMING BIBLE STUDY STARTS TONIGHT AT 7 PM : Biblical Hope For Mental Health. Friends, we have all been battered by what we have gone through the past three months. And some people have been seriously hurt by fear, loneliness, depression, and a host of other mental and emotional problems. I feel this Bible study is important not only for ourselves, but so that we can learn the tools to help others to regain mental health. Jesus Christ is the Great Physician: He was us to be healthy not only in body and soul but in mind also! The Bible teaches us very important lessons about how to have and keep a healthy mind! HOW TO GO TO MASS: 1. All Masses - just show up. But remember that we have to close off the church when we reach 250 people in attendance. 2. Wear a mask. 3. Be prepared to receive Communion in the hand. IF WE REACH 250 PEOPLE AT A MASS, and a person arrives after that, they will be invited to come to another Mass, or they can go to their car and wait, and they will be allowed to join the Communion line at the end of Mass. Together with this, we are now broadcasting every Sunday Mass on our new low-wattage FM transmitter, at 106.5 FM. You can receive this signal from anyplace in the parking lot of the church. If you still do not feel comfortable going into the church for Mass, you can listen to it in your car and at the end of Mass come in to receive Holy Communion! CONFESSIONS: Weekdays: 8 am and 5 pm Saturday: 8 am and 2:30 pm BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES,SICK CALLS and FUNERALS are all taking place, albeit under the restrictions mandated by the Archbishop and the Governor. Just call the parish office and we will gladly help you with the preparations needed. PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET! HOLINESS TIP : words of wisdom from St. John of the Cross: “Take God for your friend and walk with Him continually, and you will not sin and will learn to love, and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you.” LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE: Real quotes from church bulletins...... Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Nelson’s sermons. The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience. OUR PRAYER FOR THE DAY: a prayer of St. Thomas More, whose feast-day is today; a brilliant thinker, a noble statesman, and a martyr for the Catholic Faith under the wicked King Henry VIII of England.... Grant me oh Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it. Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place. Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumbles, sighs, and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.” Grant me O Lord, a good sense of humor, Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others. I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ! Msgr. Doug Raun | | |
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