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Keeping Holy The Sabbath In Time of Pandemic
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January 28, 2021The ongoing pandemic has impacted our daily lives in ways we could not have imagined one year ago. It has also impacted our spiritual lives. It has impacted our responses to God's commandments, including the third commandment: KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH.
"KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH" is not a suggestion from God. It is an order. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) makes it clear on how we should implement this order as baptized Catholics, "Sunday is to be observed as the most holy day of obligation in the universal Church. On SUNDAYS and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass " (CCC 2192). The Mass is the center of our Christian life. Not attending Mass on Sundays is a major sin (unless we are sick). Because of the pandemic and the health risk to many people, Archbishop Gregory has given all faithful a temporary "dispensation " from our obligation to attend Sunday Mass. At the same time, he has encouraged all faithful who are not included in a "high risk" category to come to church to participate in the celebration of the Mass as a parish assembly and to be able to receive the Holy Communion, the Eucharist which is foundational for our spiritual nourishment. He has also encouraged those who could not come for health reasons, to watch Mass at home every Sunday (YouTube or television).
As of today, about half of our congregation has returned to attend Sunday Mass in church (this is about the average for all parishes). Because of the continuing pandemic the Archbishop's temporary "dispensation” is still in effect. As your pastor, I will continue encouraging all of you to consider returning to Church and receiving the Eucharist (if you have been to confession recently and are in a state of grace, without any major sin). If you are concerned about being part of a large congregation, first attend one of our 9 am daily Masses (or 7 pm on Wednesdays). In the event, you could not yet come, I strongly encourage you to watch the live-streamed 10 am Mass every Sunday.
Based on my recent individual interviews of our candidates to Confirmation and First Communion, I would like to encourage all our families with children to return to Mass in church. I have noticed with great joy that more families with children are now attending Sunday Masses in church. However, they still represent a small proportion. For those families who may have some "high-risk" members, I understand your current constraints and in the current circumstances, I would like to encourage you to watch the 10 am Sunday Mass on our OLHOC YouTube channel as an entire family EVERY SUNDAY, so that you can keep Holy the Sabbath and pray together. We also encourage every family to open their Bibles and share the Word of God (especially Mass readings) every Sunday.
We are delighted to announce to the entire parish community that Confirmation is now scheduled for Friday, April 23rd (7 pm Mass with Bishop Dorsonville) and First Communion Saturday, May 22nd (10 am Mass). While we will still have to follow our safety protocol in church (wearing masks, 6-foot distancing with exception for families), we will be able to accommodate key family members in church (with overflow in Narthex and Father Martin Hall). Those Masses will also be live-streamed so that the entire parish can join us in two joyful celebrations.
As more and more people are being vaccinated, we will see more and more clearly the light at the end of the "coronavirus tunnel" a full return to the "normal" that we enjoyed one year ago, and that we had taken for granted. Meanwhile, let us continue to focus our attention on strengthening our prayer life and our personal relationship with God. Let us avail ourselves of the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Let us also pray for all our families with children as they return to church attendance on Sundays. Let us all listen to the VOICE OF GOD and follow HIS command to KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH by worshiping HIM in church. Let us encourage one another every day and let us pray with the psalmist the powerful Psalm 95:COME, LET US BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP; let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
For He is our God,
and we are the people He shepherds, the flock He guides.
Oh, that TODAY YOU WOULD HEAR HIS VOICE
“Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
where your ancestors tested me
though they had seen my works.”
IF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR
HEARTS.
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain
