There are a lot of depressing things in our life brought about by the virus. I thought I would use this space today to point out some positives that have come about. -We are spending more time with those closest to us. -We have come to appreciate the relationships in our life because we miss them. -Due to the anxiety of these times, folks are spending more time in prayer. -We are doing more creative thinking which has been brought about by restrictions to our normal habits of communication and work. -Since we cannot express our affections by our presence, we are expressing it by saying it, like “I love you.” -Due to social distancing, the front pews of the church are getting usage. Humor aside, folks have had to break away from a routine of sitting in a particular place. This gives us a different experience of Mass and an opportunity to be closer to different people in the parish. -In spite of the downside of smartphones, many seniors are discovering the marvel of being able to communicate with their children and grandchildren quickly and easily by such applications as Facetime or Snapchat. There are a lot of things for which to be thankful. In the midst of this medical crisis, we are going through, try to imagine how many lives have been saved by health care providers and their access to the most recent discoveries of medicine. For example, think of the ventilator, it is a fairly recent development. By this one machine, thousands and thousands of lives have been saved. So, when you say your prayer, remember to be thankful. Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.

Our first and second readings for Mass this Sunday are warnings. The first concerns the prophet Jonah warning the city of Nineveh that they are about to be destroyed for their sinfulness. In the second, St Paul declares, “…time is running out…because the present world is passing away.” In the Gospel reading, Jesus says, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” It is really easy for us to look at the news or social media and declare, “There’s the problem.” And yet, the message of salvation is always very personal. We are all called. We are each responsible to heed the call and live the Gospel. We are indeed living in very confusing times. We hear contradicting voices of influence telling us we should do this or that. But as Christians we have a place of refuge, an inner peace that nothing and no one can take away; our faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. So, whatever you are listening to, be sure you give priority to the message of the Gospel, read your Bible, read your Catechism, and use solid daily devotional practices. Do this first, give priority to these first and, “The peace that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Ph. 4:7) Yours in Christ, Fr. Sid.

I have been getting questions about the Covid vaccine that is now being distributed. The first question concerns the morality of how the vaccine was produced. There have been reports that aborted fetal tissue is used in the production of the vaccine. This has been investigated and here is the information as best as I can describe it. The two available vaccines out are made by Pfizer and Moderna. It’s my understanding that no fetal tissue was used in the manufacturing of these vaccines, but Pfizer did use such tissue in the testing of their vaccine. This is not moral and shows a disrespect for human life. The moral issue being considered is am I participating in that sin by reception of the vaccine? This is a worthy consideration, and it needs prayerful consideration. What we have here is a confrontation with two paths of which there is evil to consider on both paths, secondary participation is the disregard of human life by reception of a scandal tainted vaccine or disregard of human life by being a potential carrier of the Covid virus to a person for who it will be deadly. Catholic moral teaching says that in this type of situation you choose the path that serves the “greater good”. By greater good the Church does not mean numbers but the higher moral principle. In this case, the avoidance of carelessly exposing someone to death would be the higher moral principle. Now, this is not saying that it is immoral to not receive the vaccine, but one is still morally responsible not to carelessly spread something that could be deadly. This can be done by other means, good hygiene and looking out for others that are vulnerable. In my vocation of working regularly with vulnerable people, I have elected to receive and have received the first dose of the vaccine by Moderna. Other than the morality of receiving the vaccine there are also health issues to consider. There are potential side effects. Please keep in mind that these vaccines have been fast tracked and have not undergone the normal two-year process. The reason for the two years is that sometimes it takes months for adverse side effects to show up. This lengthy part of the trial has not been done. There could be bad side effect yet to be discovered. I advise you to do some research on your own and by all means, ask questions of your health provider. I am not indorsing that everyone gets vaccinated. I don’t think there is enough quality information available to make that call. Pray about it and remember, you have the Holy Spirit to guide you. Fear is not from the Lord. He will give you peace in your decision. Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid.

All for the Bridegroom Ascetical practices are a form of sacrifice, but they are never enough for a deeper spiritual life…. They may strengthen spiritual discipline, but this is too narrow a view of sacrifice, missing its essential purpose. Self-denying mortifications can be managed simply by will power alone and lack love, without which sacrifice falsifies its name. What our crucified Lord Jesus would prefer from us is something more serious in love than the customary renunciations that are part of any good life. He wants sacrificial acts in the inner life that can unleash a fire within the undercurrents of our soul. He desires us to step over the edge, as it were, in offering ourselves to him in the privacy of interior prayer. He waits for bold, irreversible acts of surrender in prayer that cannot be taken back, like marriage vows, dissolvable only in death, yet repeated continually in life. Every intense sacrificial offering of this kind stretches love into the buried depths of the soul. These acts inflame our soul’s passion for God; afterward, inevitably, they compel actions of generosity for others…. All radical love for God may hide its deeper mystery within such private offerings made in the quiet of prayer. Unknown but to God himself, these acts pronounce a willingness to sacrifice everything for love of him as our beloved Lord and God. FATHER DONALD HAGGERTY

A great big welcome to 2021! 2020 will live on in infamy. Good riddance. I have some hopes for the future. Our parish is growing. In spite of the difficulties of 2020, we grew in registered families, baptisms and professions of faith. We have about 160 registered families and of them, about two thirds could be considered active. That is pretty amazing considering that most parishes are hardly claim 25% active. During the pandemic our attendance has been stable and we have seen an increase of visitors. I want to encourage you to make contact with visitors. Introduce yourself and invite them to return. A friendly parish is the number one attraction to those seeking a home parish or looking to return after a long absence. I must remind you that the future of our parish is precarious at best. We are the smallest of six parishes in a 15-mile radius. There will be parish closings in the future. Unfortunately, numbers matter. To survive into the future, we must grow! Yes, we have grown but we must continue. We are seated in a growing population area. (Just notice the new homes being built.) Consider inviting someone. And most important, pray for your neighbors. Our world desperately needs Christ, just like we do. Remember, you are the Lord’s instrument. Let Him work through you. Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid.