May the Lord give you His peace.
 
Has the coronavirus got your worried?  It’s completely understandable.  When we feel like we are not in control of something it can trigger all kinds of anxieties, especially when it comes to things that effect our health.  It hit home for me the other day when an 8 ^th grader mentioned how afraid she was about dying from this disease, as if it was already at her doorstep.  How do we deal with feelings of impending doom? 
 
First, it’s so important to embrace the facts.  All too often we are reacting to misinformation, hearsay, perceptions, and interpretations generated by fear and worry.  I have enclosed a fact sheet about the coronavirus provided by the Westchester County Department of Health.  Granted, these aren’t “fun facts” but at least we can focus our energies on the real concerns and not the imagined ones. 
 
Second, it’s also important to recognize what we can do rather than dwell on the things outside of our control.  For example, I may not be able to eradicate the virus, but I can certainly wash my hands and keep them away from my face!  Exercising common sense when it comes to hygiene and selfcare go a long way as well.  At the end of this note I am going to list a few steps for our own parish.
 
Third, excessive worry over exposure to the coronavirus is in large part due to overexposure to “news” about the coronavirus.  Our mind and spirit are not given a chance to detach and focus on anything else if the news is constantly playing in the background or notifications are repeatedly pinging our phones.  It’s important and responsible to be informed but very unhealthy if we overindulge in the all too often poor spirited filled details.  Just like a summer day at the beach…a little sun is great for a tan…too much and we’re left with a sunburn.  Get the facts and get out.  Limit your screen time.  Restrict or limit news alerts and notifications on your phones and tablets.  Be attentive to children within earshot of adult conversations or who may be in the room with you while you are watching the news. Television is NOT child friendly. 
 
Fourth, when sharing information with others, especially with young people, we are called to be evangelists not alarmists.  It means being attentive to time and place and knowing our audience.  It’s not a matter of hiding the facts, running away from the truth, or pretending there is no virus.  Even the most tragic of events and situations can be communicated in the light of Christ’s love. We are called to be messengers and bearers of the Good News of hope and life.  Didn’t Jesus transform the brokenness of Good Friday into an Easter?  Isn’t His story about the victory of faith over fear?  I am quite sure, united with Christ, we can handle a virus by any name, corona or otherwise.
 
So in summary, let us focus on the real virus infecting our community one far more damaging than the coronavirus: FEAR.  We know the source of that virus, namely, the evil one.  He exposes us to a variety of strains of fear: fear of the unknown, fear of the known, fear of death, fear of rejection, fear of illness…there are too many to list here!  His goal is to get us so consumed by fear that we give little thought to faith.  For example, his hope is that his latest strain of fear, the coronavirus, will get us so obsessed with becoming sanitized that we will take our focus off of being sanctified…so worried about finding bottles of Purell to purify our hands that we will give little thought to finding time for prayer to purify our hearts. 
 
Granted, Purell and other sanitizers have their place in the world of preventative care.  However, should we run out of sanitizer for our hands, we will never run out of sanctifying grace for our hearts.  (Isn’t that the main goal of our lives and a particular focus of Lent?)  It is FAITH in God that provides the ultimate victory over FEAR.  Faith doesn’t mean that God will necessarily snap His fingers and wipe out the coronavirus.  (After all, He didn’t take way the cross on Good Friday either.)  This doesn’t make God mean, uncaring, or unconcerned.  Faith means, GOD IS WITH US.  God who is our loving Father who created us is with us.  God our loving Brother who saved us is with us.  God who is the Holy Spirit the source of all love is with us.  Consider that when we are with the one we love…nothing else matters.  In fact, all things seem possible.  With God, who is love, all things, are possible.  Every victory is achievable.  Every obstacle is surmountable.  There is no fear…only hope.  

Let us recall and heed the words of the great Saint Padre Pio whom many of you have great devotion here at St. Anthony’s:  “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”  Let us overcome the fear based hype of hell and embrace the Christ driven hope of heaven.  If we are as vigilant in folding our hands in prayer as we are of washing them in Purell, we will most certainly overcome any virus that should come our way! In short, remember to:  Wash and Fold!
 
Your local shepherd,
 
Fr. Tom
 
Some guidelines with regard to preventative care at Mass:
 

• If you are not feeling well, it might be best to stay home and watch the Mass on television.

 

• At the sign of peace, exercise judgment if you have a cold.  A simple hand wave, peace sign, or a verbal expression of peace is most appreciated. 

 

• All of our Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and clergy are required to sanitize their hands before distributing Holy Communion.

 

• All of our pews in church are wiped down regularly with disinfectant.  This was in place long before the spread of this virus.

 

• Until the flu season of over, if you would consider receiving in the hand rather than the mouth to prevent the potential transmission of saliva. 

 

• During weekday Masses, when the cup is usually offered for distribution, we will postpone that practice temporarily.  Although I would personally like to leave this up to the individual communicant, there are some who feel obligated to receive from the cup if it is offered so as not to offend our Lord, even if it might mean exposing him/herself to a potential health risk. 

 

• I am looking into a better system for blessing ourselves with holy water on the way in or out of Church.  For now, I may simply empty the holy water fonts at the doors of the church.  I would recommend blessing yourself before Mass with holy water you have at home.  If you don’t have a holy water bottle I will order some for you.  You can always bring a container of water from home and one of us will bless if for you.

 

• Although these changes may not be necessary, in the spirit of prudence, they are at least precautionary and may help to alleviate some fears associated with the spread of the virus. 

 

• If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know.