March 19, 2020 - Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
My dear Brothers and Sisters of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Parish,
                  I know that most of you have received word of Bishop Mulvey’s decision to suspend public Masses until March 31, 2020.  For many of you, this is difficult to hear and to accept because of your great devotion to the Holy Eucharist.  However, it is important to remember that our hope is that by taking these steps, we may be able to slow down the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).  Imagine how difficult it was for the Bishop to arrive at this decision, especially in the diocese named after the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).  Pray for our Bishop to have courage and confidence in the decisions he must make in this time of crisis for the entire world.
                  Now, what do we do in this time without the Eucharist?  Remember, always, that God is wise and that God has a plan.  We have to trust the Lord.  Perhaps, the Lord wants us to recognize how often the Divine Presence in the Sacrament of the Altar has been neglected and not valued.  We often take for granted the amazing gift that we have in all of our Catholic churches:  Christ is present.  For the time being, our church will remain open to the public although public events will not be held.  Perhaps, we are intended by God to use this time to reflect and meditate upon the incredible gift of God’s Presence among us.  Love is present in the tabernacle and when we cannot receive Him, our longing for union with the Lord Jesus is greater, more intense, deeper.  We, also, need to make reparation for the times we have sinned against and offended our Beloved Lord.
                  Remember also, that Masses are still being celebrated in the absence of the people and these Masses are being celebrated for the people.  Each person can unite himself or herself with the priest as the Mass is being celebrated somewhere behind closed doors.  This invites each one of us to deepen the spirit of prayer so that our participation in these Masses can truly have an effect on each of us.  The Lord Jesus when he was tempted in the desert was first tempted by way of hunger.  Now we will know a very special hunger; the hunger for the Holy Eucharist.  What does Jesus tell us?  We must be fed also by every word that comes from the mouth of God.  Do we see that Jesus is secretly teaching us how to be fed when we do not have access to the Bread of Life?  We must take and read the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, especially, the Gospels and those parts that speak of the Eucharist.  I encourage each one to take and read!
                  Fear and anxiety surround us in these days.  It’s as if each one of us were waiting for the result of “the test.”  Do I have it; do you have it?  Certainly, we have to take all these things seriously and try to prevent the spread of the virus.  We have to make sure that we have all that we need to make it through the most difficult period of this crisis.  But, we must also try very hard to retain and maintain our inner peace.  How do we do that?  By creating a “little heaven,” a “little church” in our own homes.  We need to have a place of prayer in our homes and places of work, even if just a tiny corner.  There we will come together; there we will pray to our Heavenly Father; there we will study and there we will rest.  We must make this a place of encounter just like coming before the tabernacle in our churches.  Make this special space your own.  Make it your spiritual home, your powerhouse.  This will be the place where you are strengthened and given courage and the graces you need to make it through these difficult times.
                  We may not know it, but God in His wisdom has permitted this time for us.  We are being prepared to know how to deal with difficult times when access to the Church and to each other is not so easy.  So, we need to learn to unite with one another through our powerhouses, through our home shrines.  Put up a crucifix and/or a picture of the Blessed Mother.  Add some images of your favorite saints.  Place your Bible and your favorite prayer books there.  But most of all go there in a spirit of faith and have an encounter with the word of God and let God give you the gift of peace.  Let us pray for each other; let us pray fervently and let us unite our hearts in this special place that we have created for ourselves.
                  I pray for all of you and ask for your prayers for me and for the other pastors of the Church.  May the Crucified Lord be your strength and courage now and always.
 
Your Pastor,
Fr. Emilio