Jesus tells the disciples to use this prayer as an alternative to “prattling on“ like the various other religious groups that simply recite formulas. It is a sad historical consequence that this streamline prayer has simply become another formality that we “prattle“ off.

I would have loved to have used this Touchstone to pull apart each of the ideas in this prayer, but really that would have been five or six Touchstones! Instead, I’m focusing on the part of the prayer that I feel we most often rush through without any thought at all. I mention the other parts but I want to explore the ideas I think we gloss over most often and most easily.

Now, on a completely different topic, we are tentatively looking at starting to celebrate “in-person”, public masses as early as the first weekend of July. This will be a very tricky thing. This will test how willing we are to be adults in our faith. There are many people who are considered at risk for COVID-19 and it has been a great relief to them that there has been a suspension of the obligation and really no opportunity to attend in any case. However, now it will be very difficult for some of these people to continue to make that good decision if they know mass is available.

There is still no obligation and we have to find a way to allow that to translate into “no religious pressure”. I have been worried that if mass was available, some of our at-risk population might feel that even without the obligation, as a “really good Catholic” they’re going to come to mass anyway. We can find ways to help people receive the Eucharist without in-person attendance. As a community, we have to allow those who truly are ready to attend, the opportunity to do so without feeling we are putting someone else at risk purely through good old Catholic guilt that might push someone to attend before they’re truly ready.

As I’ve said before, unfortunately, this goes against much of the training we’ve had as Catholics. Many of us were brought up waiting for the priest, the bishop or the pope to tell us what to do. When given a choice, especially one that feels this central to our faith, we still want the clergy to tell us what to do. I have often found that the comment “This is really your choice. The church allows you choice A or choice B.”, evokes a response along the lines of, “Oh I know, but Father, which choice is really better? Which choice does the Church really want me to make?”

What the Church really wants in this moment is for people to make this choice for themselves. Each of you within your own families and your own households need to assess the risks and the individuals with whom you come into contact (who may have higher risk) and the situations with which you are currently dealing. You really are the person best informed to make the best decision.  Sometime in the next week we will start to put out instructions for mass attendance. This will involve the mandatory wearing of masks inside the building, signing up ahead of time when you’re going to come to mass (or calling to give us that same information) so that we have exact numbers of who will attend and changes to the liturgy that will be designed to make things as safe as possible.

As strange as it will feel, there will be someone at the door before mass checking to make sure that the people attending are in fact signed up for that mass. This is our best way to do this responsibly. We will need to have the church seating controlled and designed in such a way that we can get the greatest number of people seated in the safest way possible and in line with the guidance given to us by the city and state.

For those of you who feel you are not at risk and are ready, I would ask that you try to keep an eye on these Touchstones going forward, check on the website more often and try to share information with anyone in our parish you know who has not had access to all of our online activity over the past few months.

God Bless. Be Safe. Be Well.
Fr. Pat

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Our bulletin is alive and well on our website. Be sure to check it out!

Faith Direct remains our approved partner so that parishioners can give electronically. You can securely register or update via this link. Thank you MPB for your continued generous support of the parish and our many ministries.