PASTOR’S CORNER
“So, you could not watch with me one hour?” –Matthew 26:40
Over the past few months many people have come forward and asked me when we will begin to resume Eucharistic Adoration. At first I was hesitant. We left church open for prayer throughout the pandemic, but Eucharistic Adoration demands that people who sign up come at their assigned hour. I was worried that some people who were immune-compromised might feel obligated to come, putting them in danger. Now, even though Covid-19 is still a threat, we have been able to manage it with masks, social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing and, theoretically, good old common sense. We have a better handle on how the virus is spread and what constitutes safe or risky behavior. We are not out of the woods yet, to be sure, but we have, so far, opened up for public Masses with minimal issues. (Good job, every- one, don’t let up!)
So now we are ready to resume Eucharistic Adoration after Labor Day. This leads to another challenge: getting enough people to come and make this work. Before the pandemic we would open Adoration after Tuesday morning 8:15 am Mass and continue until 6 am the next morn- ing. That is 21 hours. Generally speaking there are four Tuesdays in a month, which means we have 84 slots a month to fill. We have some stalwarts who come every week – thank you
– but we need many more people to make it work. A parish our size should have no problem getting people, but the pandemic has made things difficult.
Here are some reasons why you should consider it:
-This is probably one of the safest activities because social distancing is easy when there are very few people in church.
-Spending an hour in prayer is good for your wellbeing and health. It is good just to come and relax and let God take over for a while. Every article I have ever read about meditation says that it is not only good for your soul, but it makes every aspect of your life better.
-There is a lot to pray for. Not only is the scourge of Covid-19 still threatening, there is civil discord, racism, economic strife and what is promising to be a somewhat contentious election.
Ann Wollaeger is in charge of scheduling, so either contact her or the rectory if you can help.
We need prayer now more than ever. We need to hear Jesus’ poignant question to Peter during his Agony in the Garden: “So, you could not watch with me one hour?”
Father Kevin