A good word to reflect on at this time is the word dignity. And we can place alongside dignity the word “worth.” “You are worth more than many sparrows.” One trap we never wish to fall into is the trap that something other than the human person beholds greater dignity and worth before God. This has never been the understanding of ourselves in our Christian faith, and, it does not reconcile with what Jesus quietly speaks to his Disciples in the solitude of where this Gospel is set. One of the great verses in Scripture testifies to the Lord being the firstborn of all creatures. When St. Paul wrote those words in Colossians, he did not write that Jesus was the firstborn of man and woman. He wrote “all creatures” all creation, everything created from the mouth of God, is renewed in the resurrection of Christ. And I like using this verse from Paul to answer the dog question, “Father, do dogs go to heaven?” The technical, theological answer is that only creatures with reason, with the capacity to choose or reject heaven, can walk past the Pearly Gates. It is believed St. Peter never said, “Fido, show me your good works,” and received an answer. Now, before you get angry with me because of how much you love your dogs and other creatures, I go back to St. Paul’s verse in Colossians, that Jesus is the first-born of all creatures, and leave it at that. That tends to satisfy dog-lovers and their answer to “Do dogs go to heaven?” At the same time, we are worth more than many sparrows, and many dogs too. Our dignity is exponentially greater, because that’s how God created things. There is an order to dignity and worth before God’s presence and in God’s sight. And we are at the top of the created chain. This is why Jesus became one of us, and not a turtle. Along the way we can lose sight of this holy truth of dignity and worth. Of our value of living in Christ. We may forget we are worth more than many sparrows. We may lose sight of the lasting truth that never changes that we are the only creature made in the image and likeness of God. Especially when there are riots, lootings, burning down businesses and vehicles, social discord, the killing of a person who didn’t need to die, and such. It’s easy to lose sight of our true value, our worth, our dignity, where we become the dogs, and dogs become us. But we must return to this basic Godly truth; that while many human forces seek to separate, conquer, divide, and cause violence and chaos among people whom God has claimed as his own, and whose Son was sent into the world to redeem us. While many forces among us work the powers of discord and separation, imitating the demons that Christ called out of possessed people he encountered. While confusion can and has reached a fever pitch, there has to remain a group willing to stick out their necks, not fear others who kill the body, and speak and act the words of Jesus that says we are worth more than many sparrows. At the heart of Jesus’ message this week is the remembrance of our true worth, the honest value of who you are. While others may forget their dignity and worth, it’s the calling of the Christian not to stand in judgment, but to call others to that higher plane. To evangelize our greater worth, putting aside discord because it lessens our value, and taking on peace and brotherhood that reveals God within us.

As similar to the latter part of Lent, most of the Easter season except for the 7th Sunday of Easter when Churches reopened, Corpus Christi Sunday takes on an element of absence. We’re grateful that we can gather together and celebrate the liturgy where those who are in attendance can approach the altar of the Lord and receive the Body & Blood of Christ. Where spiritual communion, for those who performed one during the time of absence, is now in the rearview mirror. It’s good to have certain things behind us. Our sins fall into that category. But also something that was meant to hold us over until we were able to return to the real thing. The fullness of the Eucharist. So, while there’s joy in Mudville at 353 Grove Street, and the addresses of all Catholic Churches throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, joy emanating from your beautiful presence here in pews that are taped off, there remains a certain level of sadness too. Sadness that not all our folks are ready to bring themselves from the holdover of spiritual communion to reception of our Lord’s Body & Blood. Not to mention those who are ready to be here now, but cannot because of underlying medical conditions, age, or physical or emotional incapacity. Our hearts and prayers are with this entire absent group of believers and saints. We love them; we care about them; we miss them, looking ahead to the day when they return to the Upper Room. But as with all things Christ, the joy always defeats sadness, though both can be present simultaneously. The joy of our Lord’s resurrection and victory over the ultimate virus, death, is our better half. Our companion and friend. Moses in today’s 1st reading reminded the Israelites of how God cared for them as a large group of wanderers when they escaped the clutches of Egyptian slavery. Part of Moses’ reminder was the satisfaction of their stomachs. They complained in the desert of how hungry and thirsty they were. And who wouldn’t be hungry and thirsty in a desert after wandering around for months and years? Makes sense to me! But from the heavens came a food – a bread – never seen by anyone previously, unheard in all Jewish cookbooks, flakes of hoarfrost every morning straight from the ovens and bakers of heaven – even better than Crown Bakery – landing softly on the desert floor while they slept. The delicious flakes came down from heaven in the midst of the night like Santa dropping down a chimney on Christmas Eve. Then, they walked out of their tents after a good night’s rest on the sand, noticed the flakes on the surface, and asked, “What is this? We have never seen this before.” Moses reminded them after 40 years of wandering how God fed them and care for them. God so loved his Chosen People that the only ones who died in those 40 years were the obstinate complainers, which nobody likes, and those of natural old age causes. Everyone else survived 40 years in the desert, crossing over the Jordan, entering the land of promise. The bread from Crown Bakery in heaven gave them strength to carry on each day. The show-bread and stomachs made for a satisfying combination. Jesus, many centuries later, when out doing his desert ministry, stumbled upon one of those breads, picked it up off the desert ground, and said, “You see this bread? This bread is now me.” He said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man in the desert of this world, and, unless you drink the blood of the Son of Man from the Rock of this world, the Rock being the Church built on Peter, you do not have life within you.” In other words, you will not make it to the Promised Land. When we hear and ponder these explicit words of Christ speaking to the crowds, there’s no need to stretch the imagination too far to figure out why the churches from where Jesus preached on the hills of Galilee, why they began to empty out like he was contagious with some deadly virus. This is what can happen when some itinerant preacher from Nazareth picks up a slice of hoarfrost off the desert floor and says, “You see this? This bread is now me. A Person. And I command you to eat this. Not so that your stomachs will be satisfied for a few moments in this passing world. But that your entire body, soul, and spirit will pass into the joys of the Promised Land that lasts forever.” That’s how much he loves us. He wants us with him forever. But, as the naysayers and non-believers have spoken, only a crazy person can believe that that bread is now a Person. A Divine Person! Only a crazy person can practice cannibalism. I’m humbled and grateful to proclaim from the mountaintops that I’m part of the crazy group of believers. And I pray you are also. We pray too for all our dear brothers and sisters who have not walked away from Jesus because of his challenging, loving words. Those who cannot be here for various reasons related to a virus. We love you; we care about you; we miss you. And we want you back to receive the flesh that is true food, and blood that is true drink.

It’s fair and proper to say that anyone who professes to believe in the name of the only Son of God, and then proceeds to perform acts of violence, does not in truth believe in the name of the only Son of God. Such actions would be radically inconsistent and offensive to believing in the name of the only Son of God. Whereas on the other hand, it would be correct, accurate, proper and truthful to say that anyone who professes to believe in the name of the only Son of God and seeks the ways of peace, then this belief and practice is consistent with believing in the name of the only Son of God. God accepts that person’s belief, rather than rejecting the claim of such belief when followed by violence. When Jesus could have called forth 10,000 legions of angels who could have wiped out the entire Roman army, he held back. He didn’t make the call to heaven. He kept his cell phone shut off, like I wish everyone would do when they come to Church. He stood before his accusers from his own race and nation, and he stood before the governing figure of Pontius Pilate, like a sheep. A sheep about to be sheered, not only of their precious wool, but their entire body. Jesus clearly saw the violence of crucifixion before him, and he didn’t make the call for angels to violently stop it. The reason – one reason – why Christ didn’t make the call to heaven for 10,000 legions of angels with swords to fly down to take care of business and save him from the hands of evil men, is because he is the Prince of Peace. If the Lord made that call for countless angels to wipe out these people who filled themselves with their own egos, the title Prince of Peace would today be scoffed at. It would be sneered at, like they sneered at Jesus as he hung on the Cross. The title Prince of Peace would be a false representation of the God-Man who so loved the world, who came to us to save, and not condemn. In times like these, between the double curse of a widespread virus and many looters and rioters, we must remember who we are and who we follow. Who we are disciples of. We’re disciples of the One who laid down his life for us rather than wipe out his opponents. At the end of Jesus’ life that he freely gave, all those people had no idea who they were dealing with. It’s like Jesus was wearing a mask, and they couldn’t recognize the Lord of all. For if he was seen for who he was, and who he is, then they, including Pilate, would have fallen on their knees and sought in the most earnest way his mercy. And, he would have freely given it. In the boundless generosity of The Most Holy Trinity, God so loved the world, he so loved us, that he gave his only Son. What did he give, in giving his Son? He gave peace over violence. He gave salvation over condemnation. He gave mercy over continued bitterness. He gave love over hate. He shut off his cell phone, put it in his robe, and gave us a way on how to relate to one another. All of this points to something greater that awaits. In times like these, I pray we heed the words of St. Paul in today’s reading that is perfectly timed, as is all Scripture: “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Isn’t this what we desire so much? For the God of love and peace to be with us when surrounded by so much hatred, violence, and confusion? Paul’s words to the Corinthians speak to the here and now. But they look to eternal life, where those words are realized. We remember who we are in these times because our Savior remembered who he was when surrounded by the violence and hatred of his accusers. His title Prince of Peace remained because he didn’t make the call, and he did not perform actions that would have been inconsistent with God so loving the world. The truest message of violence says, “I hate the world.” Not just the way the world is with all its injustice. Violence says, I hate God’s creation. Not because of an injustice perpetrated that most people can agree goes against our better nature. The truest meaning of violence from a Christian perspective is, “I hate the world because I hate my life and I hate myself.” What we see in Christ is a Divine Person who loved his life, loved himself in the purest way, and loved the world he created and called forth. A broken world he came to, not to condemn, but to save. This is who we follow. He is the Prince of Peace because, when he could have chosen the violent answer, he kept his cell phone in his pocket. A phone that was never turned on to begin with.

Confessions on Saturday, May 30, will be held outdoors from 2:30-3:30.

For the foreseeable future, Confessions will remain outdoors, taking place from 2:30-3:30.

It’s good news that we will be celebrating Mass again after a 9-10 separation because of the virus. I look forward to seeing many of our people beginning this weekend and in the Sundays ahead. A happy Memorial Day weekend to all as we remember our loved ones who have lived and died from this world, entering, we pray, the joys of eternal life with our Lord and Savior. We have a long list of statements regarding coming back to Church, what it will look like, and what are the proper expectations for each of us as we continue to focus on halting the spread of the virus. We all have our share to do in this matter as we return to Church. Here’s the list: * First, with the 40% figure that came from the Governor’s office regarding the amount of people in the Church, that 40% comes to over 200 people at Immaculate Conception, with a capacity over 500 people. It’s rare we ever have over 200 people in the Church for a Sunday Mass, or even close to that number. So that’s not a concern, especially with the fact that not everyone will be returning at this time. If you know of someone whose Church is not open this Sunday, May 24, and they plan on attending here, it would be best to advise them to wait until their own Parish opens to avoid any “numbers crunch.” If 30-40 people from St. George Parish decide to attend here, and 25 from elsewhere, that could be an issue. If it’s only our folks attending, numbers will not be an issue. * Next, everyone attending Mass needs to wear a mask. We cannot allow anyone into the Church without a mask. The only ones who will not wear a mask once inside are the Lector, the Cantor (4:00 & 10:00 Masses), and the Priest while saying the Mass. * All 3 entrances – the 2 side doors and 2 front doors, will be left open at all times. Please do not close those doors at any time. Also, the doors inside the Church will be left open and need to remain open for two purposes: that different hands will not touch them at different times, and for ventilation in the Church. * When you enter the Church, every other pew will be taped off to create automatic social distance. Please do not remove any tape if your normal pew is one of the unlucky ones closed off. I recommend that those who are more agile and younger in years sit toward the middle of a pew, leaving the ends for other, less agile folks. Please do not ask anyone to move in. There should be no problem finding a pew somewhere in the Church. On the flip side of this, if you are alone, please do not corner a pew if you’re the only person sitting in it, in such a way where no one else can enter in it. Us Catholics tend to be territorial. Please be less territorial, as well as extremely considerate. * For all 3 Masses, Deacon Kevin and Fr. Riley will be processing in from the side and not down the center aisle. We do this already for the 7:30 Mass. This will include, for the time being, the other Masses as well. PLEASE ARRIVE IN PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE MASS BEGINS. * When you enter your pew, you will notice all hymnals and prayer cards removed. This is so one set of hands at one Mass will not lead to another set of hands holding the same book/card at another Mass, and so on. Music will be played and sung at the 4 & 10 o’clock Masses, but without the use of hymnals. IT’S BEEN STATED BY HIGHER POWERS THAT THE OPENING AND CLOSING HYMNS WILL BE SUNG BY THE CANTOR (Bridget) ONLY. THE REST OF US LISTEN. All other Mass parts may be sung by the People of God where singing is done, and all non-singing parts of the Mass - all responses - should be recited by all in attendance as is the normal way. Also, all attendees will have to listen to the readings, not being able to follow along with the JourneySongs book that will not be in the pew. Mass attendees may bring your own prayer book to follow along with the readings if you wish, but, it must not be left behind. Nothing is left in the pew at the end of Mass. * Bulletins, for those who want one, can be taken only at the end of Mass. Reason being that nothing can be left in the pews when everyone leaves after Mass, and bulletins are mainly the one item that people leave behind for others to clean up. * Reception of Communion will have a different format for the foreseeable future. Reception will take place from the side aisles rather than the center aisle. This allows for two things: first, a single line can be formed with tape on the floor for safe distance, and second, it’s much easier for everyone to go back to their pews in a staggering format from the center aisle where more space is available, and not coming up the center aisle side by side that tightens the distance. There will be only 2 Communion stations; Deacon Kevin will be at one, and Fr. Riley be at the other, each of them standing near the exit door. We ask that no one leaves after Communion; there’s no need to do so. * Reception of Communion: Most people already receive Communion in the hand, with a few who receive on the tongue. It’s strongly recommended that everyone receives in the hand. For those who prefer receiving the Eucharist on the tongue, no one is refused the reception of the Lord. * At the end of Mass, it’s imperative that everyone exits in an orderly fashion, going pew by pew beginning at the front. No stampedes are necessary or allowed. Exiting Church is not the bull chase in Spain. Again, all 3 doors will be open for a smooth flow of both entering and exiting. At the end of Mass, please be kind, gentle, very patient, and keep your distance from others who are exiting. * Hand sanitizers and wipes are at each entrance to the Church for anyone who needs use of them when entering or exiting. After each Mass the pews will be wiped down and cleaned, as well as all door handles in the Church and any area where hands may touch, such as glass on the doors. * For seating, only members of the same immediate households can sit closely together. Everyone else needs to be at least 6 feet apart. * Before and after Mass, there’s the discouragement from certain circles of authority of folks gathering in small groups. Our advice, for what’s it’s worth, is there is no issue with this as long as everyone keeps their distance and people can walk by without having to avoid someone standing in their path. * VERY IMPORTANT: Anyone who is sick, coughing, or not feeling well, do not come to Mass. You need to stay home. This is for the good of everyone. Watch Mass on TV. There are a few different choices. Collection Baskets: There will be no collection at Offertory for the foreseeable future. Brown collection boxes will be left at each entrance to the Church. For safe measure, we will place them just inside the Church on a small stand or table, and it will be identified. On the way in or out, for those with envelopes, checks, or cash, simply place your offering it in the box, and it will be collected immediately after Mass concludes. It’s highly preferred by the Diocese that parishioners continue to send in your offering through the mail or continue using the online service. But for those who bring your offering to Mass, those boxes will be in the Church for that purpose. Elderly: I ask all the elderly in our Parish to use the better part of your discretion as to whether you will come to Church or not at this time. The Sunday obligation for the elderly has been extended by our Bishop to December 31 of this year. Talk it over with your loved ones, get their advice. This virus attacks the elderly above all others. Or for those with serious underlying medical conditions that will potentially compromise your health even more by attending Mass, you need to consider staying away for the present time, until the situation calms down in all areas. * For the non-elderly, if you are healthy, and you attend to the protocols in place, there’s every reason coming to Church will be a safe and holy experience. It’s going to look a bit different before & after Mass, and once or twice during it. But the Mass is the Mass. It remains the same. And we’re confident you will be glad you attended in good faith. * We understand that not all our people will be rushing the Church doors this Sunday. There are different reasons for this: elderly, underlying conditions, fear of a more crowded place, or fear in general, etc. You need to make the decision that is best for you. This was mentioned this in a past video, saying that all Catholics returning to Church due to the Coronavirus, our returning will take place at different times, for various reasons. This still holds. You have to go at your pace. We cannot unfear your fear; we cannot make you 30 years younger; we cannot do way with your underlying medical conditions. Go at your comfortable, wise pace. However, don’t stay away for good. Please don’t do that to yourself. Do not allow this virus to crumble and destroy the practice of your faith. And if you need to talk about that topic, please call Fr. Riley to chat about this. * Lastly, if there is anyone who wishes to help clean the pews after a given Mass, please let Fr. Riley know at the beginning when you come in. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding any part of what is written here, you can send an email to Fr. Riley at the Church’s email address: icworc@live.com, or call the Rectory at any time. If we’re not here to answer the phone, leave a message and your number and we will return your call. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing our people in the weeks ahead.

With our Bishop's approval, we will resume the regular Sunday Mass schedule this coming week, May 23 & 24, with Masses on Saturday at 4:00, and Sunday at 7:30 & 10:00. Please check for important updates throughout this week regarding procedures that will need to be in place as well as a video I hope to have out there by Wednesday or Thursday of this week. I will address some of the expected adjustments that will be necessary to implement. Peace, Fr. Riley

In the words of St. Peter, “Come to him, a living stone.” Now seriously, have you ever seen a living stone? A stone that breathes the breath of life? A rock that goes to the movies? A stone that can’t wait for baseball to begin this year? Have you ever seen a rock move from one place to another on its own initiative? Have you ever seen a stone practice social distancing from other stones because the other stone had too many weeds and moss growing on them? Have you ever seen a stone avoid hugs and handshakes? Yet, there’s St. Peter in today’s 2nd reading on the 5th Sunday of the 2020 Easter season saying, “Beloved; Come to him, a living stone.” I didn’t know living stones could be hims and hers. But according to St. Peter in his letter, they can be. Of course, the lead Apostle refers to one particular Person, the him being Jesus. He’s the living stone. The immovable rock. The foundation of our faith. The building that does not crumble under the weight of the world’s sin, or virus. He’s the lone structure who stands tall in the midst of adversity. Peter takes the image of a stone, a rock, an inanimate piece of earth, and brings it alive. He places breath into an object that doesn’t breathe. Although interestingly, Hindus believe that every part of creation, stones included, is a living entity, by virtue of the fact it’s part of creation. Peter has a little Hindu in him. He takes the most grounded, immovable object, a big rock like a mountain, adds the breath of life to that mountain, and says, “Here is your God. Here is your Savior. Here is your Redeemer and Victor.” In all the living Earth, both animate and inanimate, Peter could not have used a more effective visual for the One who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. What’s even more amazing about the living stone is that it speaks. The only language we ever hear from rocks is the language of water crashing against it at the ocean, or, runaway rocks rolling down a mountainside speaking the language, “You better get out of my way or I’m going to flatten you.” That’s typical stone language. The inanimate object making noise. The living stone speaks a less aggressive, more comforting type of language. The waves of death that used to crash against this stone have been done away with, bringing forth the peace of eternal life. The language of the living stone that Peter says, “Come to him,” is the language of reassurance we presently need to hear and trust. It’s the language where the Living Stone himself speaks, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God – my Father, have faith also in me, his Son.” What sort of faith is this Living Stone calling for? Certainly, there are many types of faith we can live, even though some of them are dead. We can have faith in other people, which can be a good thing when their hearts are not troubled and they possess total trust in God. Just a recommendation on my part connected to having faith in people; don’t place any faith in anyone who has no faith in God their Creator, or, is not a God-fearing person. Pray for them but put no faith in them that they will somehow make your life better. Because they won’t. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The faith the Living Stone is calling for is an undying faith in the holy truth that he has conquered the world, to use religious language. We’re at a time when appearances are that the world is being conquered by a Pandemic that appears every hundred years or so. We’re rightfully concerned about the final tallies here; how many will be affected and how many will Jesus welcome home. Especially the elderly who are most affected by this virus. It isn’t NYC or New York state most effected. It’s the elderly in their homes and nursing homes. The most beautiful people in the world who all have an incredible life story to tell when they arrive in the presence of the Living Stone. Where they say, “Lord, don’t send me back there. I love this home much better.” That’s the faith he calls us to. One that carries into eternal life. “Do not let your hearts be troubled … I am going to prepare a place for you … In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” It’s not like heaven is Treasure Valley in Leicester; 3 small cabins in the forest. Where you have to fight for a spot. Heaven not musical chairs where, when the music of this world stops, you have to dive for a chair or get tossed out of the game. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” This tells us that Jesus anticipates an infinite amount of good faith, faith in him, from countless amounts of people over history, if many dwelling places have been prepared. No musical chairs in the Upper Chamber. That’s a stupid game anyway. I never liked it. From the 2nd reading to today’s Gospel we have very timely readings for us. From Peter to Jesus. The Apostle in his words leading to the Master, the Living Stone. The immoveable 2nd Person on the Trinity who breathes life. Like a flower needs to breathe air and soak in the sunlight. Jesus breathes life itself. He was there when God breathed life into Adam. The same Adam who fell, with a little help from his wife. The second Adam, Christ, breathes into us who have faith the life that never falls or dies. That’s the Living Stone about whom Peter writes, “Come to him.” Come to him, keep coming to him, and don’t stop coming to him. Most especially now.

Outdoor Confessions will be heard on Saturday, May 16 from 3:00-4:00.

Our Parish will Live-Stream Mass this Sunday, May 3 at 9:00 am on our Parish Website through Facebook. Also, outdoor, drive-through Confessions will be heard from 3:00 - 4:00 on Saturday afternoon for those who would like to receive the Sacrament.

Outdoor, drive-up Confessions will be heard on Saturday, April 25 from 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Today in the Church we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday alongside of the 2nd Sunday of Easter. If we reflect a moment on the goodness of Divine Mercy, mercy that flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we hopefully see it as pure gift offered to us by the love of God. Divine mercy reminds us of the familiar verse we’ve seen over the years at different sporting events (except for hockey; they don’t care about this stuff), where a fan holds up a sign that says “John 3:16.” “For God so loved the world, that gave his only Son, so that who believe in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” That would be mercy in action. Not perishing, but gaining eternal life. Not being tossed into an eternal dumpster, but being gently placed into the most beautiful garden we can imagine. Divine Mercy brings us to that garden. We all need God’s mercy before we leave this place. Think of the best person you know. They may be sitting next to you while keeping that social distance…. Think of the most God-fearing, “perfect” person you know. Before they take their last breath, they will need a good dose of the mercy Jesus gave to the thief crucified next to him, promising him Paradise that day. With the circumstances we have going on in our nation and throughout the world, I can’t think of a more proper Church day for each of us to take a few moments, either by ourselves or together as family, to ask God to touch our hearts with his Divine Mercy. It’s a day for families to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. For those who don’t know it, you can easily find it online. And, maybe today can be the start of a solemn family prayer, as we all pray for God’s mercy to lead us out of this pandemic. The Apostle most in need of the Lord’s Divine Mercy today is Thomas the Doubter. And the Thomas image for today is this; he didn’t trust the witness of his friends who all agreed that Jesus appeared to them in the Upper Room. Like Peter before the crucifixion, Thomas became a denier. It’s one thing if it was Peter alone telling Thomas about the Lord’s appearance. Or just Bartholomew, or just Simon or Jude. But it was all of them collectively telling Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” The response back… “Yea, sure you did. Was he wearing a Patriots jersey he found in the tomb? We know they were also dead at one time.” In Thomas’ unbelief, he mocked his fellow Apostles. Notice that the absence of Thomas from the room is the reason for his doubt. Absence and doubt are siblings. How does that speak about folks today where God is absent in their lives? Maybe that’s one reason for all this present upheaval. God is calling everyone back to Him. He’s seeking to remove absence, and replace it with belief. Where there is unbelief, it’s not the Lord’s choosing. But the choosing of the doubter. Or, the person whose life is just too busy for a few moments each day with their Creator. Where God is absent in our lives, we become first-class doubters and skeptics, questioning his presence. What closes the door of absence is belief. Do we believe the Risen Lord is present in our world right now as we sit in our locked upper rooms waiting for something great to happen? Something that will tell us for certain that the victory over this virus has been accomplished? Physically, it hasn’t been won yet. Most of us believe it will be. But spiritually, this victory has been won. It’s a battle that was won in the resurrection of Christ. Belief is a central part of our faith that is to be carried with us wherever we are, wherever we go, and whomever we’re with. Belief begins in the heart. So where the heart goes, so goes our belief. Thomas left the Upper Room for some reason. To shop. To get some exercise. To get away from the bad smell of 11 guys who haven’t taken a bath in a while…. When Thomas left before Jesus appeared, he took with him the bad odor of unbelief. His heart was void of belief. He refused to believe the words of Jesus, “And on the third day I will be raised.” Those words were to be carried with him everywhere. So, when Thomas returned to the Upper Room and was informed by trusting witnesses that they had seen the Lord, if Jesus was in his heart everywhere, the good St. Thomas would have believed without seeing. Just like we’re called to do right now. The first set of eyes for belief in the Risen Lord are not found in the head. They are in the heart. So instead of rejoicing with his fellow Apostles, Thomas sits in the corner and whimpers about Jesus’ bad timing towards him. Time for Thomas to grow up. And now is the time for all doubters to mature in faith and belief. We have a way of questioning God’s timing in events that directly touch our lives. There’s the appearance of God’s absence. The appearance that he walks by us without saying hello, or even looking at us, not making eye contact. It’s like, “C’mon Lord, acknowledge us! Acknowledge somehow, in some way, that you know we’re dealing with this! Come back to the upper room of this world.” The truth is, he’s here. “Where two or three gather in my name, especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and seek my infinite mercy, there I am in your midst.” Thomas is blessed because Jesus returned to cast away the absence and doubt that stole his heart. We are blessed because Christ is in our midst, but only if we believe.

From today’s reading in Isaiah: “I have set my face like flint.” Straight ahead. No turning back. There is no reverse gear in Jesus. The path is forward, and in the holy thoughts of Christ, “I will face whatever is before me this coming week, and I will remain obedient to my heavenly Father. I will have a few apparent moments of human weakness while my divinity remains unmoved.” The Son of God sets his face like flint this week. But in his humanity we will here, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We will see him sweating drops of blood in a garden when his closest friends could not stay awake with him for one hour. We will see him get hit in the face in the presence of the High Priest Caiaphas for telling the truth. We will see his body be torn to pieces by a scourging and crown of thorns placed on his head in cruel mockery. But he has set his face like flint. He will accept the world’s violence onto his body; he will cry out from the pain that accompanies the wicked violence; his heart will break a thousand times this week from abandonment, betrayal, and denial. But he will finish his mission come heck or high water. If a Cross is called for by his Father in order to bring people home so that our sins will not be kept against us eternally, then he will set his face like flint and “carry the tree.” We have, like Jesus, set our face like flint. There’s no turning back from this virus. We must set our faces like flint and move forward with determination, with wisdom, and with concern for one another. If we do this, we will imitate the determination, wisdom, and concern of Christ. When I watch parts of the news cycle, sitting just long enough to get the gist of where things stands with the virus, and not tuning in for hours on end which I hope none of us are doing, I hear enough in that time that touches on what’s called “the American spirit.” The American spirit has shown itself to be a spirit of resiliency and perseverance, a spirit of profound generosity at times, especially with natural disasters in other parts of the world. It’s a spirit of ingenuity, as we’re witnessing in the present circumstances where many companies have shifted their production from what they normally produce to what helps to slow a pandemic. The American spirit is, in many respects and areas of life, a spirit of care and concern, of reaching out, of accomplishing difficult work in difficult times. It’s not a perfect spirit by any means. Only the Spirit of God is perfect. And in our country, we presently need a good spirit, and the best of what this term accomplishes, so that we can move on to assist other parts of this world that grows smaller and smaller. But the American spirit must be built – for us – on the Christian Spirit. On the Spirit of Christ. It’s the Spirit of Christ that is the foundation of our lives, building up all other good spirits, including the American spirit. The Spirit of Christ is a greater and deeper spirit than the American spirit. God’s Spirit makes possible all the good of the American spirit. The Christian Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, is the presence and movement that carries us through all the Holy Week’s of our lives. Beginning today and through this upcoming Holy Week of separation from our Church, the opportunity presents itself under the most unique circumstances to reflect on the determination of Christ. The One who sets his face like flint. The One who says, even to himself, “Be not afraid.” Jesus says, “I have faith that my Father will deliver, he will come through at the end of this week. That he will raise me up on the third day.” Even though the Lord is raised up in another way today with adoration and praises – “Hosanna to the son of David – Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” – and enjoying every minute of it, he knows full well that he must set his face like flint this week despite all the coronavirus to be thrown at him. And, we must do the same. We do the same with our American spirit. But much more with the foundation, our Christian spirit. The Christian Spirit, the Spirit of Holy Week, is our spirit that will sweat blood at times – something we’re all familiar with right now. The Christian spirit knows the sorrows of loss and abandonment. We’ve been abandoned by our normal routine of practicing our faith, or our labor, of school, of shaking hands and hugging. But it’s the Christian spirit of Holy Week, Jesus’ Spirit over these next few days, that keeps moving us forward to victory. Live in the Spirit of Christ this week like you’ve never done before. Incorporate our American spirit into our faith, for sure. But Christ is the way, the one foundation of our lives. He has set his face like flint. No human viruses are going to stop this Divine Person from winning his victory. The Son of God is determined. He is the source of our energy for this Holy Week. Thanks be to God.

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Between the Gospel of the man born blind and this one of Lazarus being called out of his grave after a 4-day stay, it’s amazing how these 2 Gospels speak to our present crisis. Crises don’t change over time, for the most part. Anyone born blind, or anyone who loses their sight after once seeing, they want their sight. They want to see the many beautiful parts of the world that God created from his voice. Blindness is a physical crisis where the desire to want to see does not change over the centuries. For those who are blind, I have zero capacity to tell you that you will see again in this world. But I have full confidence and the capacity to tell you that you will see the face of God. And when you look on the face of God, you will see forever the perfection of all beauty. It will be like looking at the most perfect sunset, or the incredible beauty of the Grand Canyon, times a million. The desire to see now, however, remains. With today’s Gospel, we shift the crisis from blindness to death. From the desire to see, to the desire to live. The death of Lazarus touched a lot of people. Not only 2 sisters. “And Jesus wept.” From the Lord to the entire village in deep sorrow. We had a “Lazarus” die last week from my old neighborhood of Lincoln St., a friend named Bucky Sheehan. Bucky’s unexpected death has created untold amounts of sorrow. Like Lazarus, he was a good person, a friend of Jesus, popular in the village of Lincoln St. His death is a crisis, as was the death of Lazarus. As is the death of all those we love. The crisis doesn’t change over time. From Bethany to Worcester. Anyone who dies who doesn’t make it to what we call a full life, they want to live. They want the grace and blessing of years. I’m sure the 20-something Lazarus wanted the grace of years, as did the 64-year-old Bucky Sheehan. This week death is the crisis. Death is the highest form of crisis. What St. Paul calls “our greatest enemy.” And if death is our greatest enemy, then life is our greatest friend. Death is the crisis for over 1000 people in our country dying from this sweeping, contagious virus, and many 1000’s throughout the world. “Master, the one you love is ill.” The message sent to Jesus by the two sisters. Many family members are speaking that prayer today; “Master, the one you love is ill.” They don’t want the crisis of losing a loved one too early. But our ingenuity, our capacity, and our will can only do so much in preventing death from not claiming another victim too soon. And there’s always going to be the skeptics and doubters who ask this silly question, this question of testing God we hear in the Gospel, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something – done anything – so that this man would not have died?” The evil that comes from that question is the failure to understand and know the power of God. People like that will never have Christian joy. The good that flows from that question – “Could not Jesus have done something?” – is the recognition that life is pure gift. Even for unbelievers. There’s something wonderful to be said for the gift of life right now. That question about Jesus implies that life is the highest gift. But, we should be careful about asking that question about Jesus too soon. Asking if he could have done something stupendous before he even comes into the village is an early question. Let him enter Bethany first; let him come into our village, and let’s see what he can do. Once he’s in, once he’s before the tomb of Lazarus, or anyone’s tomb, including our own, is he going to disappoint us? Is he going to fail? Is he going to leave the village the way he found it? Are his words going to fall on deaf ears that are dead ears? Ears that don’t hear any longer? The great thing about Lazarus, and the great thing about our dear Lincoln St. friend Bucky Sheehan, is not the dead ears that no longer hear. The great thing is they have spirits that do hear the voice of the one who can do something. The one who can do something about blindness, about this virus, about death. “Lazarus, come out!” The ears of Lazarus did not hear those words. His whole spirit heard, his good spirit… the spirit that was a friend of Jesus; the spirit that believed that Jesus has the power to destroy this crisis. The worst crisis we know. The crisis of death. Death is buried in the Bethany tomb. Lazarus walks out. The gift of life. I pray we don’t question whether Jesus can do something about this present crisis. He will. We just don’t know what it’s going to look like by the time he leaves the village. Like in the time of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, some live and others die. The wider picture of God’s love and presence relates more another question in the Scriptures that asks, “Who can know the mind of God?” We trust in his love and presence; we trust he can do something; we trust he can handle any crisis on any scale; and, we trust that he will draw us out of our personal tombs and deeper into his life called eternal.