December 25th, 2021 & January 2, 2022

Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, and Forever ~

I don’t closely follow covid related stuff. When I start to see or hear something about it, I move right along, I have from the beginning. I don’t talk about it either as some people are zealous about their position, not willing to reason with others. It’s also a tar baby, getting you stickier and stickier when you touch upon the subject with no end in sight – ugh.

With that said, the omicron variant is spreading super-fast, doubling the number of infected worldwide every 2 – 3 days. So a lot of people are super scared all over again, like they were when this all started, or when the delta variant came on. I guess it will sweep through the world in the next couple of months. If covid is something we’ll be living with forever in one mutation or another; omicron might end up being a relatively good thing in that it is a far less deadly than past variants, thereby giving the world natural immunity (better than vaccine immunity) without the much higher death rates of the previous variants.

With that said, I have had many parishioners over the months complain to me about people at Mass not wearing masks; threatening to stop going to Mass until they see everyone wearing one, or worse, threatening to leave the parish. I’ve also heard from others who say they won’t return to Mass until the mask mandate is lifted, or if forced to wear one (we can’t force anyone to wear a mask), they threaten to leave the parish! Pastors don’t want to lose anyone; I hope you can appreciate my conundrum. So here’s the deal.

There is a mask mandate in this state, okay not in half the states, but there is in this state. There are signs on all the doors to this effect as well as it being mentioned ad-nauseam in our weekly emails. Many people who attend Mass are immune compromised or live with someone who is; 65 and older with a pre-existing health condition applies to a ton of practicing Catholics or someone they live with. When someone who is scared of covid sees someone at Mass not wearing a mask, they fear that person could be unknowingly carrying covid and might spread it – regardless of immunity status. Rightly or wrongly, some people who attend Mass are scared of mask-less people. So to alleviate people’s stress at Mass, please wear a mask. I know it will cause some people to lose their peace to have to wear a mask, but I am asking you to offer it up to God. A sacrifice, a suffering when done for love of God and neighbor, is a hidden grace for the one offering it up – especially when you don’t feel its right. It’s an obvious grace for those who will have peace of mind at Mass, if they will come in the first place.

A couple of other things to know

Archbishop Etienne has made it clear that there is an expectation to wear masks. He’s also made it clear to the pastors not to prevent people from entering, or to kick people out of church for not wearing one. I wouldn’t try even if he said too. Just imagine the few ushers and greeters we have confronting Mass goers over this; we’d be an usher and greeter free parish in no time.
If during Mass, I tell people to mask up, some of them will feel publically humiliated and stop coming to church, some leave the parish, and some simply lose their faith. Many mask wearers would feel that I was being insulting by publically asking maskless people, stuck in pews, to mask up and some of them would stop coming to church too!
Sometimes people can’t wear a mask because of breathing issues or psychological ones. Fr. Martin told me for 21 months that he couldn’t wear one because of breathing issues – until he wore one to Mass last Saturday! So please don’t judge people who aren’t wearing a mask. [FYI: Fr. Martin is triple vaccinated]

In Jesus, the Divine Physician,