Be Still and Know that I am God

One of my favorite guided meditations of all time comes from a retreat called Day by Day Agape (or DDA for short). It goes like this: "Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be." Simple, yes, but also profound. Imagine hearing those words repeated slowly, methodically, in a dark chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, and you get more of the effect.

Do you ever feel like Sisyphus? He's the guy from Greek mythology that's stuck eternally pushing a boulder up a hill. Every time he gets to the top, he slips and has to do it all over again. Sound familiar? This is what it can feel like when we try to do things on our own, without God's help. Now, more than ever, we need to be willing to ask for His help.

I don't know about you, but I am just about done talking about the coronavirus situation. This is not to say that the pandemic is over or that we can't have opinions, but rather that I'm tired of the way it's talked about. Everyone has a hot take, a spin, something that we should be doing. Heck, everyone on Facebook is suddenly a doctor now! Who knew?

It's not just the pandemic, though. I bet you could pick just about any topic, and there will be a large group of people who become "armchair experts" at a moment's notice. All this opining, all this certainty that one's own position is correct, comes from a desire for one thing: control. Control is one of the hardest things to give up, but it is what we must surrender to let God in.

I was watching a video from Fr. Mike Schmitz the other day where he talked about what a saint is. A saint is anyone who has been welcomed into Heaven. Period! Sometimes we can feel like sainthood is unattainable, especially when we see the heroic spiritual feats of saints like Ignatius, Pope John Paul II, and Theresa of Calcutta. But there are many paths to sainthood!

That's all well and good, but what Fr. Mike said that really struck me was this: "A saint is anyone who unites their will with that of the Father." That sounds like one of those faith sayings that you nod along in mild agreement with and then never think about again, but let's dig a little deeper than that.

What does it really mean to unite one's will with that of the Father? There's a couple ingredients to this. The first and most important of these is humility. Humility is not a quality that our society values much these days, as evidenced by people's certainty that they're right on everything from the way to navigate the coronavirus to how much snow we're going to get this winter.

But humility has many benefits. First of all, it's freeing! It can do wonders for your mental health to admit that you don't have all the answers. It feels GREAT to admit that you don't know something. That way, you can trust in the people who do! And guess what? There's someone who DOES have all the answers.

If you don't know who it is by now, you clearly haven't been reading this blog for very long. It is, and always will be, the Lord. God has the answer to every question, the solution to every problem, and the turn-by-turn directions to our final goal of Heaven. All we have to do is ask!

Okay, so that's humility. But what else does uniting our will with the Father's and accepting that He is in control require? Stillness. God voice rings the loudest when there are the least distractions. Makes sense, right? But it's much easier said than done, especially today.

Even in our quasi-quarantined world, there are still tons of distractions. From Netflix to social media, family drama to a good old-fashioned nap, there's always something we can drown out God with. So how do we "be still?" How do we create that space for God to enter and unite our will with His?

There are four main things I'd suggest. First, plan ahead of time. Carve out 10 minutes at some point during your day to just sit and listen, and stick to it. Maybe read the Bible or listen to some (faith-based) music to get you in the mood, whatever works! Second, get up a bit early. This one pains me greatly, but things are quieter and slower in the early morning. It's the perfect time for God to make Himself known to you!

Third, get out into nature. Go for a (socially distant) hike, stroll around your neighborhood, or take a dip in a lake. Whatever you can do, surrounding yourself with God's handiwork can make you much more receptive to His call! Finally, spend some time by yourself. Other people, especially our families, are great. But sometimes we need to be alone to hear God's voice!

That last one can be tough, especially if you're cooped up in the house with a bunch of people, but it's important! These are just a few suggestions, and I'd really encourage you to find some time to intentionally give up control to God and try to unite your will to His. You will feel better if you accept that you can't (and don't need to) solve everything by yourself!

I hope and pray that you're able to put the tough stuff in the Lord's hands, especially in times like these. Stay safe, stay cool, and I'll see you soon.

God Bless,

Regis

Ask Father: Can Saint Joseph be referred to us a spiritual father?

Dear friend in Christ,

Yes! If Jesus thought of Saint Joseph as a father, and we want to be like Jesus in all things, we should think of him as a father too. Saint Joseph is a powerful patron and guide for us because the obedience and reverence which Jesus showed to him during our Lord’s earthly life continues, in a sense, in Heaven.

We can even make a consecration to Saint Joseph, giving him an official capacity to help us in life. Saint Joseph will help us become closer to Jesus because he and the Blessed Mother knew Him better than any other human being. He will look after our temporal affairs like a father and he will defend us against evil because he has been given the title “The Terror of Demons.”

For information on making a spiritual consecration to Saint Joseph, a really helpful resource is Meet Your Spiritual Father by Dr. Mark Miravalle.

July 26, 2020 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Friends in Christ:

PATIENCE…last weekend I preached about our need for more patience in life. It is the most common comment we, as priests, hear from our parishioners “Father, I need to work on patience…I need more patience with my husband/wife, my children…I need to work on being more patient when I am driving! My friends please know that we ALL need to work on being more patient in life and with others. We are ALL works in progress and that virtue is one of the most challenging of all.

One place I need more patience is when I am walking Fenway. It is not that I need more patience with my dog. It is with drivers! I have had many close calls from distracted drivers, teens on their phone while driving, and drivers not obeying state laws. Did you know that the crosswalk in front of the Town Library has a sign on each side of the road, as seen in my photo here, and it uses images to say, “State Law: Yield to Pedestrians within Crosswalk!” I can assure you that it is a rarity that anyone obeys that law. That drives me crazy! I have no patience for drivers who are not willing to give the right of way to pedestrians. At other intersections I observe the stop lights and crosswalk signals where they exists, but here it is presumed the pedestrian has the right of way. NOT SO!

This is where I NEED PATIENCE. Maybe those who are ignoring this State Law are rushing to the bedside of a sick or dying relative, maybe they are running late to work because a child needed extra mommy time this morning, or maybe they are dealing with so much that they are not paying attention to the task at hand. As one parishioner commented on my Facebook posts from #beyondthebulletin this past Monday, perhaps Jesus was putting these drivers in my path to help me take a deep breath or learn a lesson in growing in patience. Food for thought!

Many are growing impatient with this virus and all that it has done to our “normal” routines of life. These days have been challenging and difficult for all of us, and the world continues to be beset by the troubles of a pandemic, economic issues, and unrest. There is so much developing each day, new guidelines and protocols, and you literally could watch three different news channels in the evening and hear three different interpretations of what is going on!

On a side note, I had to laugh the other day when I was reading a bulletin article for another parish not far from here where the Pastor wrote “Masks, social distancing, washing our hands are all part of the new normal.” I have to admit I laughed hysterically. Wasn’t washing your hands part of everyday “normal” life before Covid 19?

In all of this, we pray for more patience! Patience in dealing with the uncertainties of the virus and its implications. Patience with our family members with whom we have been in close proximity like never before. Patience for our co-workers and friends who may share with us there anxieties and frustrations. Patience with ourselves as we learn new ways to move forward and come to terms with all that is on our plates these days. Patience. Saint Bridget of Sweden, Our Patroness, Pray for US!

This past week our maintenance staff and a volunteer from our Facilities and Grounds Committee enabled an idea to be brought to fruition. I have been concerned for quite some time now that we did not have adequate space for our parishioners who may be in wheelchairs for whatever reason.

If truth be told, this has been a concern of mine since I arrived but I had yet to come up with a solution. I feared the desire to make a more accommodating space may be difficult.

A few weeks ago it dawned on me that the solution may be to simply remove one pew from one of our sections to make one pew double its open area. It worked! I am so pleased that we have completed this and there will be proper space now for those who may be in wheelchairs and their companions. This is located in the front section of the pulpit side transept of the church, or the pulpit side chapel if you will.

St. Bridget School Return to In-Person Instruction Strategy for 2020-2021… much time has been invested the past couple of weeks from Dr. Testa, faculty members, school board members, and myself into establishing a plan that is inclusive of a Green Phase, Yellow Phase, and Red Phase. As you might be able to surmise, the Green Phase is a fully opened school with all protocols put in place for in -person learning, the Yellow Phase is a potential hybrid of some in-person learning and some virtual learning, and the Red Phase is a complete virtual learning environment.

On another side note, really just want to share a story that a parishioner with two young children shared with me. The mom and dad have been very concerned about the kids returning to school in September and having to wear masks throughout the day and it has really weighed heavy on them. Well the mom said the other day she took the two kids with her on some errands. When they jumped in the car, the two little ones immediately reached for their masks and put them on. She then explained they didn’t have to wear them in the car to which one of them replied “we know, but we like to wear them.” I know there is a lot of talk about the masks and making children wear them but I imagine the children will be more flexible with this matter than most of us adults.

Back to our school re-opening plans. Not knowing which Phase we will encounter on day one means planning for ALL THREE. We ALL want the children to return to in-person schooling but first, and foremost, of course is the care for the safety and well-being of our students and the faculty and staff. Of course, we are planning as best we can to be prepared for any of the phases at any given moment. But this requires additional COSTS.

We need to increase our bandwidth to enable better and faster internet for any remote learning that may occur. We also need to store equipment in a trailer such as extra furniture which can no longer be in the classrooms. We need to buy tables for the science lab rather than the pods since students need to be all facing one direction. We need to purchase additional sanitizing and disinfecting chemicals to ensure we have enough to perform the necessary cleanings each day, sometimes multiple times a day. We need to increase the amount of outside air that comes into our HVAC system which will mean an increase in our utility costs. We will need to purchase face shields and other PPE for our faculty and staff.

All of these items come with a cost that was NOT incorporated into our school budget which was submitted to Hartford pre-quarantine. IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE DO SO. Any and all contributions can be made out to St. Bridget School for the Annual Fund which will be used to help offset some of these necessary but costly preparations. Thank you for all you do to help make our parish school a shining light in Cheshire and beyond. As always, remember to pray for vocations, pray for our young people, pray for our parish families and ask God’s blessings as we strive to build His kingdom here. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.