Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif
We continue our isolation from one anther during this “Stay at Home Order”, or quarantine time, let us continue to focus on our personal and private prayer and devotions. The Church has given us a treasury of devotional prayer over the centuries. Even though the celebration of the Holy Mass is the source and summit of the life of Faith, it is not the sum total of the Faith. Even during this time of being cut off from the public celebration of the Mass and the Eucharist, we still are able to worship God thorough our personal prayer.
Over the course of this pandemic, I have been live streaming Mass at 10 AM most every day. This has been a challenge since I am very limited technologically. I stream from the dining room of the rectory for daily Mass, and from St. Simon Church on Sunday. These are the locations where I am able to get a reliable internet connection to upload and stream live. Regrettably, I cannot get a strong or reliable signal to stream from St. Al’s. It is my hope that instead of having to watch Mass online, we will soon be able to gather in person again to celebrate the Eucharist publicly again.
Financially, the parishes are struggling. Our donations have been down because of the suspension of the public celebration of Mass, as we suspected would happen. We are, however, extremely grateful for the donations we have received in both parishes, either through electronic giving, or through the Sunday envelope either dripped off, or mailed in to the parishes. What we are receiving, though not quite enough, is helping us to keep bills paid.
Please continue to pray for one another, for the sick, suffering, and lonely. Please also pray that this pandemic will end soon, and that this virus will be removed from our midst. Also, please pray for those affected by the economic impact of the pandemic as well, those who have been furloughed, or lost their jobs or businesses. Together walking with the Lord, we will get through.
Take Good Care,
Fr. Bryan T. Reif