Yes. COVID-19 is horrible. But for the observant, there is good that can come out of it also.
Apparently pollution has been dropping precipitously in major cities around the world to unprecedented levels. There has been so few car crashes that some insurance companies are giving payment breaks to their customers. Never have so many dogs been walked so often and so far. After generations of constantly speeding everything up, much of the world is taking a breath and chilling a little bit.
It isn’t all gloom and doom although just about everything I read is about the horrible things going on (and there are horrible things going on.) But if you only focus on the horrible things, you too will feel horrible and why add that to the mix? It’s like the person alway pointing out how terrible the weather is. My Dad was like that. My Mother would always say, “Bill, you live in northeast Ohio. Learn to enjoy it or you will be miserable and make everyone around you miserable.” That’s good advice during a pandemic also.
I agree, Father. Our pastor, like you, has been broadcasting Mass, a variety of devotions, and even the Tuesday night Monopoly game with our vicar (which is far more entertaining than you may think!) Our parishioners are being exposed to things they might never have ventured out to experience under normal circumstances, like the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Adoration, and even the virtual pilgrimage our Newman students arranged - 6 local parishes in one hour on Holy Thursday night. Some people never reach past the comfort zone of "their" weekend Mass, or get to know other groups of parishioners. God *always* bring something beautiful out of bad times. Someday, we may even be nostalgic for the quarantine - as incredible as that may sound! I personally think, like the poor people who suffered under the suppression of Catholicism in Poland, Ireland, Cuba, and other places, that our Faith may become more valuable to those of us who took for granted the fact we could go to any Mass we wanted to in any church around the world, after experiencing being forced to stay home and public Masses being suspended for the time being. Thank you, Fr. Valencheck and Fr. Simone, and all the good priests here in Akron, who go to the trouble of keeping your parishioners in contact with our Faith and our parishes, and who bring us encouragement. None of us needs to feel isolated with the outreach from our area Catholic parishes! It will certainly be a glorious day of thanksgiving when we can return to our parish homes for Mass! God bless and protect us all! Sue from St. B
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Father!
ReplyDeleteOne of our Pastors just blogged a short ‘sermon’: Listening for the still, small voice of God.
Good advice as we all slow down a bit.