I have noticed that we have many open dates for Mass intentions. It makes me think that a reminder is in order about the value of having a Mass offered for any person, living or deceased. The intention that is listed in the bulletin (and announced before Mass begins) is the intention of the priest offering the Mass in the person of Christ, the head of the Mystical Body. This offering is of infinite value. If the Mass is offered for someone who is deceased, the intention is for the repose of the soul of that person. It aids the person through Purgatory. If the Mass intention is for a living person, then the Mass is offered for that person's intentions. You literally cannot remember someone more powerfully than by a Mass intention. The intention itself is an interior act of the priest, acting in the person of Christ in celebrating Mass that the infinite value of the Mass be attributed to the stated intention. What is printed in the bulletin or announced is only a notice of the fulfillment of the intention.

These are the words, approved by Pope Francis, of Cardinal Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, on the need to return to the Eucharist. I think that many in Saint Rose Parish have this same spiritual intuition since attendance at Mass has been increasing. Whether or not there is a canonical obligation to attend Mass, we need Jesus! He is, of course, found most substantially in the Eucharist.

We are under a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass, but the dispensation is not without requirements. The dispensation covers those who are sick and those who are caring for the sick. It covers those at highrisk for complications from contracting the virus. It also covers those who are in fear of contracting the virus. It does not cover those who are not in any of these categories but who nevertheless choose not to attend Mass.

We are about to launch a new year of discipleship for the young people of our parish. At the junior high level, we are introducing the Fraternus and Fidelis programs for boys and for girls. I strongly recommend these programs that are very popular and effective in other parishes of our diocese. High school students are also welcome to be involved. At the high school level, we will continue with our Life Teen program for discipleship. There will also be a high school religious education class. I recommend all of these options, and strongly encourage the young people of the parish to be involved in one or more of them. It is practically impossible to be a disciple of Jesus on your own. Remember that Jesus sent out his disciples two by two! You might just "catch" the love of Jesus from one another!

Thank you for the very generous response for adorers of the Blessed Sacrament last week! Now let's keep it up! I am sure that all of you even those taking hours in the middle of the night found that you were blessed by keeping watch with Jesus for an hour (or more)! I am encouraged by the presence of others when I am praying before the Blessed Sacrament, whether I know them or not. The experience creates a bond of devotion to Jesus.

We certainly have a lot to pray for in these days, and being in the presence of Jesus puts our concerns in perspective. We are never alone. Again, a big thank you to the parish for responding so quickly, generously, and faithfully.

Faithfully,

Fr. Baker

In these days of COVID, we hear of clusters of infection breaking out. These are outbreaks that occur with people who are in close proximity to each other. Clusters of outbreaks happen not only with infectious diseases. This kind of outbreak is also the way that holiness spreads! I am hoping for a pandemic of holiness in our parish!

Let's talk about the contagion of holiness. There was, for example, an outbreak of holiness in Lima at the time of Saint Rose. The bishop who confirmed her is a canonized saint. He must have been a "super spreader" because there are several other canonized saints from the same time in Lima. St Bernard of Clairvaux, whom we celebrated last week, came from a family infected with holiness, and then he also became a superspreader. When he would go to preach in a town, the mothers would lock up their sons because they all would go off to join the monastery after hearing St. Bernard!

Our parish offices are now generally open as the staff has gradually returned to inperson work from working from home. Because of the cramped conditions of the reception area of the parish offices, we have established a new reception area at the entrance to the meeting room wing behind the church. When you enter the building, there is a reception area with glass doors in front of you before you enter the hallway. At those doors, there is a call button that you can push to alert the staff of your presence. The staff will be able to see you and to communicate with you about how to serve your needs at the office. This will provide a safer environment for staff and for visitors. It will also take a little getting used to! A drop box remains at the front of the parish office, but otherwise we will no longer use the front door of that building as an entrance. Instead, we will use the entrance to the meeting room wing behind the church as our new reception area. 

I am happy to report that more people seem to be coming to Mass each week little by little. I am glad that those who are coming feel comfortable and safe with the precautions we are taking. Of course, there is still risk in gathering so please judge prudently whether you should come to Mass or not. The dispensation is in force until the end of year. 

I appreciate very much the collaborative spirit of those coming to Mass. I know that the precautions are a distraction, but please persevere in them.

Since we are having more people coming to Mass, it is even more important that you take the time to sign up for the Mass you plan to attend. This way we do not have concerns about crowding.

The Church at Saint Rose remained open for prayer and for Confessions throughout the suspension of public Masses, and we added Adoration back as well. When the bishop allowed, we began the celebration of public Masses with more frequent Mass times on the weekends. Gradually, more people seem to be comfortable coming to Mass. The worship of God is the most important thing we do. It comes first.

Our Food Pantry has been operational in some capacity throughout the pandemic. We were also able to restart the Bridge Ministry and other outreach opportunities. It is important to keep helping those in need in the community and in the parish, especially in these very difficult times.

Now we begin the reopening of school, followed by PSR. This will be the next phase. Youth activities and RCIA will also be beginning soon, if all goes well. As we settle into these routines, other groups will be able to consider starting in person gatherings again. At each step we want to make sure that we are on sure footing before taking the next step. Thank you for your patience as we begin again our life together in the parish. 

It is understandable and reasonable that we have many fewer people at Mass these days. And yet, the Third Commandment is still the Word of God. Even though we do not have an obligation to attend Mass during this period covered by the bishop's dispensation, we do still need to keep holy the sabbath. We will need to be intentional about this, especially in families. Here are some helpful words from St. Pope John Paul II, from his Apostolic Letter Dies Domini -- The Day of the Lord:

"Sunday is a day which is at the very heart of the Christian life. From the beginning of my Pontificate, I have not ceased to repeat: "Do not be afraid! Open, open wide the doors to Christ!" In the same way, today I would strongly urge everyone to rediscover Sunday: Do not be afraid to give your time to Christ! Yes, let us open our time to Christ, that he may cast light upon it and give it direction. He is the One who knows the secret of time and the secret of eternity, and he gives us "his day" as an ever new gift of his love. The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also so that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings. Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human."

There are many images of the Church. The most beautiful and consoling image of the Church is the Church as our loving Mother. This image, of course, makes us think of the Blessed Mother. Scripture and the Tradition of the Church emphasize the connection between Mary and the Church. The Second Vatican Council teaches that Mary is the Image of the Church.

The time has come to wish Fr. Michael farewell as he begins his new assignment at St. Joseph in Madison. An English Catholic poet came up with a new word that I like even better than farewell. It is "fare forward!" It is a shame that we are not able to celebrate Fr. Michael's time with us in a large group gathering as we would ordinarily have done in other circumstances, but this in no way diminishes our fondness for him and our gratitude for his service here at Saint Rose. I would still encourage you to write to Fr. Michael if you have not already done so. He is a great letter writer, and he loves to receive them as well. Speaking of writing here is his new address at St. Joseph:

Fr. Michael Baltrus
St. Joseph Catholic Church
1225 Gallatin Pike South
Madison, Tennessee 37115 

There is certainly a lot of noise and confusion on the surface of the world right now. We see a lot of anger and division in the news. Down deep, however, we need to find unity. It is always there. Despite our differences, we are more brothers and sisters than anything else. And now can be a time to discover our unity in a very visible way.

Can you think of any external thing that has affected the whole world the way the coronavirus has? Literally, everyone in the world is having to deal with this same thing. Everyone's life has been changed by this. We are together in this experience. Why isn't it bringing us together in compassion and understanding for one another?

I think that the Fourth of July weekend is a good time to think about the gift of being together as family. I certainly have some happy memories of being together with my family during this holiday when I was growing up. We really need more time and experiences together as family. One good thing that I can say about the pandemic and quarantine is that we have had more time to be together. Perhaps we have had the opportunity to share family meals together more often. I have been happy to see families playing together. I also hope that our families have been praying together more often as well.

The Domestic Church of the family is the ordinary way that we come to faith and grow in it. Faith takes time and attention on the part of families. We should look for ways to experience our faith and to share it with one another at home. Family prayer is one of the best ways to do this. Family prayer is simply a family conversation that includes God! We bring God into the conversation in just the same way we would draw one another into conversation. We can thank God for blessings. We can tell God and one another that we are sorry for offenses. We can ask God for needs that are on our hearts, for ourselves and others. And just like in family life, we can communicate the most important thing, which is that we love God! Maybe Dad could start the conversation, and then everyone joins in. We come to recognize God in our lives, our homes, and our families in this very natural way.