Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif
Happy All Saints Day, and Happy November! It is hard for me to believe that we are already deep into the Fall now, and that Advent is just a few short weeks away. It is also hard to believe that we have been open for public celebration of the Mass since May, and we are still operating under restrictions imposed on us by the State, the wearing of masks, social distancing, the use of hand sanitizer, and restricted capacity. Since February, the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days has been dispensed. The priests have heard that the feeling among the bishops currently is to continue the dispensation from the Obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days through the balance of 2020.
Even though the Obligation to attend Mass has been dispensed, and no-one is required, at this time to attend, so many of our parishioners, so many of you have decided to attend Mass and receive the Sacraments, and have been faithfully coming to Mass every weekend. I recognize that this is not being done out of a sense of obligation, but is being done out of a sense of love for the Lord Jesus, and out of a desire to grow in love of Him, and to grow in the Faith. I thank you from my heart for this witness to the Faith and to the Lord that you are giving to me, and to one another. I commend you, and I am proud of you for your love of Jesus Christ. I am also very proud of you for taking the things that we are being asked to do to minimize the possibility of the spread of the virus seriously. Thank you for wearing your masks, keeping socially distant, and refraining from physical contact with neighbors whom I am sure we wish very deeply we could shake hands with or give a hug. What you are doing is exactly what a Christian community, a parish, is called to do, pray with one another, lift one another up to God, and stand in solidarity and support of one another, especially when things are tough going as they are now with the pandemic. Thank you for that, and may the Lord’s blessing continue to come upon all of us in our two parishes.
Take Good Care,
Fr. Bryan T. Reif