It is almost done! I can see the finish line! Hope and blessing is restored! I wish I was talking about the ending of the “shelter-in-place” order but I am not. I am talking about the work being almost finished in our beautiful church at St. Lucy. But in both cases we can draw analogies and hope that just as our church lighting project is coming to completion and the putting back in order the inside of our church is being done, we too one day very soon will begin to look forward and put in order once more our lives and return to the parish church to once more celebrate the Sacraments and join in the communal worship that we all feel a hunger for and desire to be part of in our praise of God. Before we do that though we need to continue to place our lives in hope and trust in God’s plan.
First, our church lighting project was to take between 7 and 8 weeks. It has taken almost 16 weeks. We all know construction comes with delays and changes that slow the work and this was true for our little project as well. These delays caused heartache, worry and sometimes great doubt, but listening to the voice of those who were on the journey with us, these fears were allayed by looking towards the greater, the beauty coming forth from the painfully slow progress. We too, as a people of faith, need to be attentive to the all the surrounding noise and discern the voice of God calling us to communion. To look forward to the beauty coming forth from this time of isolation does not remove the pain of not being able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, or not having a normal schedule for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or delaying Baptism or even a Marriage date. It certainly does not take away the pain of lost work, isolation and depression. And yet, there is hope. Each time I find my heart falling, the dark cloud beginning to surround me, fear overwhelming my hope and trust, I listen for the whisper. One whisper is to re-watch the video of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in prayer from a few weeks ago. To hear the voice of Jesus flow through my veins as I see him in adoration, in reaching out and in the painful steps he takes in taking Jesus in his hands as he blesses me, blesses you and blesses the whole world. It is here and in other ways I see the tiny light of love and hope begin to defeat the darkness of temptation in despair.
Second, we must ask questions and act. We cannot simply sit back and wait. Our faith and hope is as a pilgrim people on the move, searching out and discovering hope. In the delays and problems, searching for solutions, not quick fixes or patching over the problem, but solutions to last into the future became a quest for blessings and peacefulness. Trust in the experts is important…but questioning in good faith and charity is also important. Our Bishops are under tremendous stress in seeking to be good shepherds. Pastors and priests are under tremendous stress in seeking how to serve their people in generosity and reaching out to those who are lost and abandoned. Parish leadership teams struggle to find solutions too difficult problems no one ever dreamed we would face. Saying all of this, this does not mean questions shouldn’t be asked or grassroots solutions cannot be brought forward. When we do this we are acting towards charity in the other trusting their good will towards our Holy Catholic Church.
Lastly, remember: God has got this! It may look like a disaster. The hoped for timeline may be destroyed. We may fall into utter desolation. Yet, we know: God has got this!
Please pray for our Holy Father Francis. Please pray for your Bishops, priests, religious and parish leadership teams. And be assured, they are praying for you. We are the Body of Christ…maybe sheltering-in-place…united in love.
See you in the Eucharist.
God Bless
Fr. Mark.