+JMJ+

Dear friends,

On the first day of the public Mass suspension this past week, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, something very powerful happened.   As I was offering my private Mass, during Mass the sun came out and shined on the altar.  This really hit me.  First, it had been raining or cloudy for many days up to that point.  During Mass, the sun came out.  (The Son came out).

We are in the midst of a powerful rain storm in this crisis.  However, when we set our eyes on our Lord Jesus, the storm fades away.  During our Lord’s crucifixion, there was a storm.  There was an eclipse of the sun.  Darkness came over the whole land.  The movie the Passion of the Christ shows that it was stormy and rainy.  The wind was blowing.  There was a great earthquake.  All of creation seemed to notice what was going on.  Those who didn’t flee, namely, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Apostle, and St. Mary Magdelene did not flee.

Perhaps in this pandemic, this storm, the Lord is trying to tell us something.  Like creation at the Crucifixtion, will we take notice?  We will focus on Him during this storm like the 3 at the foot of the Cross?

This is our chance to prove our faith in Him.  Without a test, how can the Lord see we really  believe and follow Him?  (He can see our hearts, of course).  What will be the outcome?    Will we remain faithful?  Like so many times in the past when calamnities happened in Sacred Scripture, the Lord was sending a message to His people saying, “Return to Me.  Repent”.  Famine, wars, locusts, diseases, etc, were all ways that the Lord tried to get the attention of His people to repent of sin and to return to Him.   So, the question is, in this time, will we head our Lord and repent, return to Him, and go and strive to live good, holy, virtuous lives?

The Lord does this because He loves us.  He wants us to be with Him.  He is all Good.  Therefore, anything that happens, except sin, is for our good!

What good can come out of this?  There have been glimpses of it already.  People are starting to get serious about the Faith.  People are thinking about others and their well being.  Families are becoming stronger because they are spending more time with one another.  People are starting to realize what they have perhaps taken for granted.

So see?  Even in this, the sun can shine, and is shining.  On this Laetare Sunday, let us rejoice because of it.  Let’s go forward to the Lord, seeking Him, desiring Him, loving Him in all aspects of our Life.  In Him, we have peace and strength.

He is indeed the Son that shines!

Keep the Faith! May God bless you all,

Fr. Matt