Flocknote

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Father Jerry's Homily for Pentecost 2020

The reason we are outside today celebrating Mass with the faithful for the first time is because of our breath.
The reason we are at least 6 feet away from one another, socially distanced, is because this virus travels from droplets in our breath.
It is highly contagious.
The reason we are not singing today as an assembly, is because COVID-19 can be transmitted in singing, from deep in our lungs, more than a cough or a sneeze.
The Reason we are all wearing masks today is to prevent our breath from touching someone else.

We have learned that breath is powerful!
But we should have known this.

In the Gospel today, Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, “receive the Holy Spirit.”
And it happens! These disciples, who were scared,
who had locked the doors and barred the windows, now throw open the windows and doors and go out preaching in all kinds of languages.
With a breath, they are transformed.

It still happens in our day.
Using our breath to say “happy birthday to someone, “ conveys more than words. A man and a woman, who say to one another closely in church,
“ I take you to be my husband or wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health...”
bind each other together for life.
The breath, the words do something.
And even more powerfully, in today’s gospel, as Jesus breathed on the disciples, he says, “if you forgive sins, they are forgiven. If you hold them bound, they are held bound. “
Really!?
The breath of a few words can make a difference?
Yes!
Our words and our breath are powerful.

Just take the example of the emotion behind the cashier and the man in the store who did not want to wear a mask.
If you’ve seen the clip, he says, “I woke up in a free nation this morning.” And so he refuses to wear a mask in the store even though it’s required.

Yes, we do live in a free nation, but we are supposed to care about our brothers and sisters and, as Catholics, we are called to love them.
That means we are supposed to do whatever we can within our abilities to honor them and love them and treat them with respect.
Our breath, in this case can be harmful, because we might even be asymptomatic.
Instead of spreading the good news, we would be spreading very bad news, especially for someone who is vulnerable.

Why have we become so selfish in our liberty?
When did we, as US citizens, become all about us?!My father went to war in World War II not because he was concerned about himself. He went in service of others and his country. He saw how others were suffering.
His Sacrifice, and those of countless people in uniform throughout the years, including our police officers and first responders these days,
Was much more difficult than a simple, easy rule, like
wear a mask to protect others.
He and others were willing to risk their life, and some are not willing to abide by simple gestures that can protect others from harmful breath.
Really!?
That’s not being an American in a free country. That’s being selfish.

Our breath, on the other hand, as we receive and are filled with the Holy Spirit, is to build up people in love and care and joy. We are supposed to speak out, but, of course, never in violence. Our breath, modeled after Jesus, is to bring blessing and peace.
As when we give our breath in CPR.
And, as Paul reminds us, we all do that in different ways – – but the effect should be the same – – to bring life and peace.

I have become much more conscious of my breath Over the last few months. The first time I put on a mask, I thought, “oh my gosh, does my breath really smell that bad!?”
I’ve also become conscious, in watching videos of singing and coughing, of how we can expel germs across the room.
And, in watching the news and in hearing from people on email, I’ve become even more aware of how words can build up, tear down or destroy.

The First Pentecost sent the disciples out on a mission of peace.
They were not always met with peace, as we know.
But no matter how they were treated, their message always remained the same.
It was well described by a liturgist in the 1970's, Father Eugene Walsh – – he said, Jesus promises us two things, that we are loved, and that we will live forever. If you find a better offer take it!
Those are the kinds of words we are sent to speak and that is the way our breath is to be used.
For good,
For building up
For peace.
For life.
Come Holy Spirit
Fill our lives
And we shall renew the face of the earth.

We are now celebrating daily Mass with the physical participation of the faithful!

Mass is at 9 AM, Monday through Friday and at 8 AM on Saturday in the Main Church. These Masses will all still also be live-streamed for those unable to join us in person at this time.

We are still praying the novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on Tuesday evenings at 7 PM. This novena will continued to be live-streamed and we are happy to announce that parishioners are welcome to attend and pray in person with us in the Little Church!

Our Daily Bread casseroles can be dropped off this Wednesday, June 3rd from 8-9 AM in front of the Parish Center.

This will be our last weekly drop-off, as we will resume our monthly casserole drop-off schedule this month, which is the last Wednesday of each month. Pans can be picked up this Wednesday at drop-off or at the Parish Center during regular office hours (8:30-4:30, M-F).

We will be holding First Friday Adoration and the Holy Hour for Life this Friday June 5th. Stay tuned for more details to come!

Guidelines for receiving Communion during Phase II:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against reception of Holy Communion on the tongue. More importantly, in response to God’s command to love our brothers and sisters, and out of special concern for the vulnerable and our sacred ministers, communicants who normally receive on the tongue are respectfully asked to make a sacrifice of personal preference. Please prayerfully consider the reverent act of receiving in the hand.

Ministers of Holy Communion may not deny Communion to those who insist on receiving on the tongue. Should anyone choose to do so, the Minister of Communion must sanitize his/her hands prior to distributing Communion to the next individual.

Sanitation Procedures of the Communion Minister while Distributing Communion

• If the priest or Communion minister senses that his/her fingers have made contact with a person, he/she should pause, place the ciborium on the corporal, wipe his/her fingers on the purificator and use hand sanitizer.

• It is not necessary for the Communion minister to use hand sanitizer between each communicant who receives in the hand, unless the minister makes actual contact.