From the Pastor's Pen - May 24, 2020

STAYING CONNECTED—That’s what the middle and end of the Easter Season is

about. Easter Sunday, and the following ones, open the marvel of Christ risen from the

dead, and some of the effects on the community. Then on these Sundays two other

questions prevail: --How to stay connected to the Risen Lord, and-- How to keep the

small community he started, growing and true to his word?

After Good Shepherd Sunday, and last week’s proclamation that I Am the Way and you know the way, we heard last week the start of our very intimate connection with the Risen Lord: The Spirit. Jesus promised him as a gift, and that his Spirit would even be within us. By loving and obeying him, we stay connected with him.

Now that we’re starting public Masses with attendance again, those who feel it’s ok to return at this early time have to get used to new practices that are required: temperature taking at home, masks, keeping proper distance in pews, greeting one another across pews and distances even as we leave. While the building looks so familiar to us, even as we enter, we need to stay aware that the world has changed. Our church in the nation and our region has done an admirable job of showing respect for efforts throughout the community to

slow the virus so the most people are safe. We can’t excuse ourselves because of our faith or some imagined privileged status.

And how long will we need to do these practices, we’re already asked frequently? It’s not short-term, like a few weeks. You can read and hear as well as I that the distance and sanitizing methods need to continue until a vaccine protects the human community, and that’s up to a year or more off.

As we get farther into this and our practices seem to be protecting each other, more of our parishioners may feel it’s not as risky as it feels now to come to church. Provided you aren’t experiencing symptoms or have clear conditions that make you vulnerable (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, asthma, or others), that will be your choice. But if it’s still not your time, you can stay CONNECTED, as above, with the gift of the Holy Spirit within you. You can pray the Sunday or weekday Mass broadcast from our church. I promise to do all I can to keep you connected to the Lord and our parish.