Patience is a virtue . . .this is a time of great patience. And obedience. Maybe God is testing our obedience to the Bishop's orders right now. Have you ever seen that tv commercial about the guy who said, "it's my money and I want it NOW". Well we tend to be like that. We want it now! but it will come back. We have to give our will to God and let his will be done. On both sides . . .Churches are starting to open up in my area. Limited to how you sit in the pew. Parishoners are asked to bring their own disinfectant wipes and clean the pew after they leave. That's a good idea! I will not go to Mass tomorrow because I had a bad sore throat for three days this week. I don't know what it was, but don't want to infect anyone. It was probably allergies, who knows? I did get to receive communion last week standing out in the parking lot. There were about a dozen people there. Four of them had masks and the rest did not. Our Priest looked a little nervous and asked the girl why she was wearing a mask, did she feel ok? She said she worked in a hospital so it was mandatory for her and family to wear them. Just to protect other people. So, we have a spiritual communion available and a multitude of streaming Masses. We do the best we can do and say "Jesus, I trust in You".
My daughter and I went to Mass this evening. The Phx diocese is opening with guidelines. SO happy to go and be with Jesus. They allowed 175 in and every other pew was taped off. There were 6 feet tape for communion lines. There was only the priests and 1 EM giving communion out. The pastor explained about communion in the hand is preferred but if you wanted to receive on the tongue, to please go to his line and he would do that. He needed to sanitize his hands after communion on the tongue each time but he said he would not deny communion on the tongue if you wanted it. He is a holy priest. It was beautiful and I loved it. My daughter wore her veil and said it was nice to feel normal again. Everyone followed the rules and everyone was aware of each other and following the guidelines. It will open up more I believe. It is a slow process but it is a small price to pay to go back to church. I felt like a kid in a toy store I was so happy.
This is important! Obedience is very important! And God knows we trust in Him to bring the Mass back to us. There will doubtless be some who disagree but I will stick with this viewpoint. Where else can we go? We are in the Barque, there is a huge storm, and Jesus is asleep in the boat. We know what happens next. Good post.
That sounds wonderful Tanker! Wow! 175 people allowed! We are opening next weekend with a maximum of 50 people. I have signed up already and can hardly wait!
The guidelines say 25% capacity so it is different depending on how many the church can seat. This parish is relatively small compared to others but 175 wasn't bad. We are normally in the Tucson diocese which has not opened up at all. Tucson is offering communion outdoors on Ascension Sunday and outdoor masses for Pentecost. Churches not open. They are offering communion but ONLY in the hand. It goes by diocese and the bishop decides. The Phoenix diocese is so close to us that we often go to Mass there (pre-covid) because the bishop is so solid and traditional. I love our parish but they have to be obedient to the bishop. I understand this. However, I was blessed to go to Mass. I bet those sign up slots were taken fast. There were a lot of people crying at the Mass yesterday....just so happy to be at Mass again. I bet it will be the same for you
This has been a defining moment in time for Catholics. A real wheat and tares winnowing. God's grace is so evident right now.
ANTI-CHURCH OF ROME: CATHOLICS FORBIDDEN TO ATTEND THE VIRUS MASS We should always speak the truth. We should speak the truth to lies and to liars, whether they be peers, inferiors or even superiors. We should speak the truth to power or to those without power. We should always speak the truth, because we are Christians. We should always speak the truth because every human being is made in the image and likeness of the Truth and thus deserves to hear the truth from us. So imagine my dismay to see a poster on the doors of a Church here at Rome telling Catholics not to dare enter the Church. The poster appeared on the doors on Sunday, May 17. Today is Monday, May 18. And as of today the Dictator Giuseppe Conte “has permitted” the Catholic Church in Italy to resume public masses. BUT ONLY ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS. The condition first of all is that you accept Giuseppe Conte as Dictator and Head of the Church in Italy, with power to alter the rubrics of the Mass and exclude dissidents to his psychotic politics, in which the virus is as lethal as the plague. Here are photos of the Poster: For those who do not read Italian, here is a complete translation in English: THE DIOCESE OF ROME PARISH OF …. Dear Faithful, Welcome to church to pray together. I invite you to respect the norms of security. I wish you a good celebration! Signed, the Pastor ATTENTION The number of faithful permitted in this Church is 70 DO NOT ENTER! If you are a person with a bodily temperature equal or above 37.5 degrees Celsius or who had contact with persons who were positive for SARS-COV2 in recent days. AN OBLIGATION TO Enter and leave by means of the indicates accesses respecting the distance of 1.5 meters from other faithful. Wear the Mask Avoid groupings in the sacred spaces of the Church first of all, during and after the celebration Maintain at least 1 meter distance from the person near you. Do not exchange the sign of peace. Receive Holy Communion, attending to the instructions of the priest Sanitize your hands before entering. Sit in the seats indicated. Take up the collection according to the instructions of the celebrant AVOID SHAKING THE HAND OF ANYONE OR EMBRACING THEM! But what if there is no virus and no one is infected? No mention of that. As a matter of fact, it has been 3 days that here at Rome there have been no new alleged infections and no deaths. I just love the fact that these posters have been printed by the Diocese with pre-arranged words to put in the mouth of the local Pastor. I am sure that the pastors of Rome will just love that thoughtful courtesy! (sarcasm) I think it is necessary to list all the heresies contained in this poster. There is no God in this Church which can protect you. There is no God in this Church who wants to protect you. There is no God in this Church who wants to save you. Jesus Christ is not God. Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, that is, Jesus Christ is not the Lord of Life, the God of Life and the Source of all Healing. Jesus Christ cannot protect His own. Jesus Christ cannot work miracles. Jesus Christ did not understand virology and infections. There are evil organisms in this world, which even God cannot protect you from. The Catholic Church is not founded by God. The Catholic Religion is a mere human superstition. The Rites and Sacraments of the Church are unsanitary filthy acts. Giuseppe Conte is head of the Church. The State has authority over the Church. The State can dictate the rubrics of the mass. The State can dictate who can and who cannot worship Jesus Christ. The State can require that you receive the Sacraments so long as you give testimony to lies of a political nature or of a medical nature. Receiving Communion while accepting a lie is acceptable to the Church. The State can command you to receive sacrilegiously. The words of Jesus to Peter, “Whatsoever you bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven” — which apply to canon law, where in it says in canon 912 that anyone properly prepared cannot be refused a Sacrament — are not operative, just like the words of Canon 332 are not operative when it says to renounce the papacy, a Pope must renounce the munus. I added n. 20, just to help you understand the bigger picture. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. Can I enter such a Church without sin if I do not observe all these regulations. A. Yes. Q. If I observe all or some of these regulations, do I commit mortal sin? A. Yes. Q. If I receive the Sacrament, while recognizing the validity of these regulations, do I commit the mortal sin of Sacrilege, which is the worst of all the sins possible in this world? A. Yes. Q. Is this poster explicitly or implicitly heretical? A. It is implicitly heretical. Q. Is this poster a sign of pertinacious formal heresy? A. Those who designed it, ordered it and placed it, must be suspected of pertinacious formal heresy. Q. Can I lawfully or licitly rip this poster down and shred it into a thousand pieces? A. In Italy, since the Constitution grants the Church liberty in Her own Churches, you can both lawfully and licitly do so. Indeed, you merit eternal life by your heroic act of faith, by removing this blasphemy from the Church’s doors. https://fromrome.info/2020/05/18/anti-church-of-rome-catholics-forbidden-to-attend-the-virus-mass/
