4 PM         112                 4

6 PM           70               21

8 AM           55               19

10 AM         88               17

12 PM         95               14

2 PM           45              plenty

     Eight more people attended Mass this past weekend.  The 4 PM is the only Mass very close to capacity.  The 2 PM still has plenty of room.  There is enough room at the other Masses.

     In the last couple weeks, I've noticed a small but growing number of people who seem lost.  They may forget to wear their mask.  Or they don't know how to receive Holy Communion safely.  They may have difficulty walking or figuring out where to sit.  They just look lost in what I'm now calling an extended time of crisis.

     Most of us have experienced crises that have lasted for hours to days.  A few of us have experienced a time of crisis that has lasted for months.  For me, I've experienced multiple and extended crises for most of the last 20 years.  I've shared some of these stories with you.  I'd like to share a few observations about dealing with a crisis that drags on for years.

     We all have our limits.  Even intelligent, faithful people have limits.  When my brother had been on a ventilator for a few years, the main doctor stopped going to my parents because he saw they were overwhelmed.  Instead, he chose to share the difficult news with me first.  I was in the zone.  I could think and act so very quickly and for very long periods of time.  And yet for all the ability I had, it wasn't anywhere near what was needed for the multiple crises my family experienced in the Fall of 2003.  I kept asking the Lord to help us as I continued to do the best I could.  The Lord responded with a super abundant amount of grace.  He addressed all ten crises with spectacular love.  The lesson I learned and need to keep remembering is to trust God.

     Now, I see so many people who are overwhelmed - people in our parish and community, lay friends, priest friends, and relatives.  They may not claim to be overwhelmed, but I can see that they are not keeping up.  They're using a wonderful coping mechanism called denial.  Sometimes, their behavior is destructive or counterproductive.  I try to communicate the truth to them, but if often goes over their heads.

     For myself, I'm in the zone.  God has entrusted me with wonderful gifts and terrific responsibilities.  Yet, I know that I cannot take care of everything before me.  Because of plenty of experience with crises, I'm trying to remember that most important lesson to trust God.  He is protecting us and helping us in ways that are often hidden.

     I invite all of us to trust God more.  Call friends, relatives, and neighbors to help them or to let them help you.  Just working on our relationships can help us to think more clearly.  I tend to go bonkers when isolated.  When I talk with real, live people - even on the telephone - I return to reality.

     Because of the coronavirus, continue to be prudent.  Wear masks.  Stay six feet apart.  Wash hands.  Trust God.  Love your neighbor in ways that are physically safe and spiritually wonderful.

God love you,

Fr. Jim