“It’s a sincere prayer saying that you believe that Jesus is present in the holy sacrament,” Father Poston explained, “and you desire to receive him and love him. But since you can’t, you invite Jesus to come into your heart and soul and be with you.”
Remembering St. John Paul II and the 15th anniversary of his death, Pope Francis encouraged people to pray for his intercession and trust in Divine Mercy, especially during these “difficult days” of the coronavirus pandemic.
We can find solace in knowing that holy people such as St. Isaac Jogues have also been separated from reception of the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe we can find courage and perseverance in their example.
So often in Scripture Jesus says to his followers and to us, “Be not afraid.” He’s not asking us to ignore our problems or neglect our loved ones or deny our feelings. He is inviting us to rise above our feelings of fear, to encounter the greatness and glory of God, and in a spirit of humility and contrition to open our hearts to him, perhaps as never before.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has approved a special “Mass in the Time of Pandemic” to plead for God’s mercy and gift of strength in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore provides this list to answer some of the common questions regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
Administering the sacrament of reconciliation via cellphone is impermissible under church teaching, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship.
Because of restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, there are currently no scheduled parish, school or other Catholic events in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We will resume our regular online calendar when those restrictions are lifted.
Grief is an unwelcome but inevitable presence in our lives. And we will live through it.
So many Americans believe that only the elderly and the immunocompromised are capable of contracting and becoming gravely ill from Covid-19. I, too, believed I was invincible until I saw a social media post written by a high school classmate, Tiffany Vega-Gibson.
Speaking to more than 50 priests of the Archdiocese of Baltimore during a March 31 online presentation, Smyth pointed out that most COVID-19 patients exhibit no symptoms in the first two to five days after they are infected. That’s when the risk of spreading the virus is greatest, he said.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn March 28 announced the death of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, who died the evening before from COVID-19.
