Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

  (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) "When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer to think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore, when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration." St. John Chrysostom

Forgive this old man BUT: (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) PLEASE stop fanning the flames of natural fear. Instead , stoke up the furnaces of supernatural faith and trust in God. Be men of courage and faith. Stand up for God and not grovel at the feet of civil authority awaiting their permission (which you don’t need) for you to do what God commands. Of course, all of us must use common sense. Stay out of public areas and Churches if you are not feeling well or evidence any symptoms of illness. There is, and never has been, any real authority for, or reason to, hold hands while praying the Our Father, exchange a physical sign of peace, or offer communicants the precious Body and Blood from a chalice at every Sunday Mass. These practices are unnecessary and should be permanently abandoned. In these challenging times, stop placing your faith solely in hand sanitizer, disinfecting sprays, masks, and the confusing, inconsistent and oft-times unreliable recommendations made by som...

We will continue to shrink in numbers, close our Churches and  experience a dearth in priestly vocations until we reinstate a sense of the Sacred in our Church buildings. This will only occur when all our actions in Church evidence an unswerving belief that we are privileged to be in the presence of Jesus Christ. Listen here.