Work for Healing

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

I pray that you are blessed. I also hope that you are healthy and safe. As more and more of our state opens up I am nervous that we will be lulled into a false sense of security. On Monday, which is my day-off, I decided to actually get away for the afternoon, and so, I took a drive to Holland. I wanted to get the lay of the land in hopes that next year I’ll be able to photograph the tulips. Since my mother is Dutch, even though everything was closed, I was able to walk around Windmill Island and see what was there besides the windmill. It will be a nice place to take her if/when she is able to come up for a visit.

It was also interesting to see how different people handled the new guidelines. There were clearly people who basically went back to living as they did pre-pandemic, no masks, no separation, etc. Then there were those on the other end of the spectrum who were super cautious, and of course, everything in between. Personally, I feel an obligation to the people I live with, as well as, the rest of the parish, not to mention that I certainly don’t want to get sick so I continue to take safety precautions. Another reason why I see it as important is out of respect for others. Even if you personally don’t believe these restrictions are doing any good, or if you are sure you’re not a carrier, nor are you worried about catching it, I still think it is something we should all be willing to do out of respect for others. Do it for the sake of those with compromised immune systems. Do it for the sake of those who are very anxious and fearful of getting sick, and possibly dying. Hopefully, if we all cooperate and practice these safeties, we will not only lower the curve, but end it.

NOTE: I did notice that there were a few people this weekend who either came in without a mask or removed theirs after finding a seat. I hate playing the enforcer, but these are the restrictions under which the bishop has allowed us to celebrate public masses. Everyone over the age of two must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose for the entire time they are inside the church. Our guidelines also prohibit the type of mask with a filter, since this type only protects the wearer, but doesn’t stop germs from being exhaled. If you don’t have an appropriate mask or forget yours, the ushers have a few for both adults and children. I also realize that it is a lot to ask a child, and because of this we had some made that children might find fun to wear.

This week we also welcomed the newest member of our Redemptorist community, Fr. Eugene Batungbacal. We will share more about Fr. Eugene in the future after he settles in. While you may see him around the parish, his primary ministry will be outside of the parish. So not only do we want to welcome Fr. Eugene to St. Alphonsus and Grand Rapids, but wish him well in his new ministry.

Finally, this Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, The Body of Christ. We celebrate not only the precious gift of The Eucharist, but also the fact that WE are The Body of Christ. It has been said that when one part of The Body is sick, the entire Body is sick. When one part of The Body suffers, the entire Body suffers. Certainly with the pandemic and recent protests for justice, The Body has certainly been bruised and battered. So let us not only pray, but also work for healing of the entire Body.

In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick