"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice . . ." (Matt. VI, 33)
Dear Faithful,
During this unique and trying situation of the virus, we are presented with numerous restraints and restrictions by the civil authority, providentially permitting us to humbly and patiently practice numerous virtues. Whether closures of businesses, stores and recreational activities, social spacing, remaining indoors, etc. those who hold this authority are meant to be doing their very best for public health and safety. We commend these efforts of good will and exercise of an authority which ultimately comes from Heaven, even in the temporal domain as Saint Paul so clearly teaches. Through a true desire to obey all legitimate authority based on that very reason, as well as fraternal charity, we should willingly follow all reasonable regulations made for the common good. Truly, in such a serious situation, we are bound to render to Caesar. As you well know, here at the church we have done everything possible to comply with the guidelines from the Health Department as they have rolled out these past weeks, and will continue to do so.
The civil authority has identified the need for the continuance of "essential services" and rightly so. Food, drink, medicine and health care are essential for man to live, to keep his body healthy, strong and properly functioning. No better way than to eat right, sleep well and exercise to ward off illness and disease. While this essential element of human nature is to be cared for, we must not forget, nor even slightly neglect the other essential and more noble element of that same nature, our immortal soul. Made in the image and likeness of our Creator, the rational soul must be carefully tended as well. Various agencies both public and private have made valiant efforts during this time to aid these needs. Live streaming of plays, entertainment, classes and courses have not only been done, but we can say have flourished, aiding to ward off "cabin fever" or worse problems, permitting our psyches the stimulation necessary for right living at least as well as possible within the constraints of the situation.
These things are needed, nay essential, and in times of crisis one must resort to the safekeeping of and access to those things essential. Obliged to leave aside the extraneous and superfluous, those not strictly needed for survival in a given crisis, we must nevertheless guard, defend and absolutely demand that the essentials are made available to all when humanly possible.
Caring for the necessities of nature has been briefly examined above with manifold efforts made to ensure access to all. However, the one absolute essential based upon the highest aspirations, needs, goal and perfection of the human race as deemed by Almighty God Himself, is the supernatural life. One can never be truly healthy if the whole person is not cared for, and this cannot be done without ministering to the supernatural needs as well. As Catholics, blessed by God with the Faith, and knowledge of the fullness of Divine Revelation, we know the one absolute supernatural necessity: the grace of God. It is that divine grace which cures, enlightens, sanctifies and fortifies the human soul, raising it to a divine level and friendship with God, Father Son and Holy Ghost. Without this grace, not only can man not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he cannot be truly whole, healthy, nay even fully human in the manner desired by Our Lord and Redeemer. As we well know, the Sacraments were divinely instituted to be the very channels by which we receive this grace, all of which have as their life-giving infinite source the Holy Mass, the perpetual continuation and mystical re-presentation of Our Lord's perfect sacrificial death upon the Cross on Calvary. While clearly there is a hierarchy of essentials for body and soul, there is objectively no greater need for man, the very summit of his needs, the one which perfects the whole wonderful creature that is man than access to sanctifying grace and assistance at Holy Mass. So essential is this need, that the Church mandates under sanction of serious sin to assist at Holy Mass every single week. We must therefore ever ensure, and most especially in a societal crisis, this access, not simply as a concession, but as an absolute need and fundamental right. In the words of our glorious patron Saint Pius X: "One truth is at stake: was the Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ or not? Since it was, nothing can induce us to give up its constitutions, its rights or its liberty . . . one hears spoken too much of the goods of the Church and too little of her good. Tell them that history repeats itself. Ages ago on a high mountain two powers stood face to face. 'All this will I give thee,' said the one, offering the kingdoms of the earth and their riches, 'if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' The other refused ---and is refusing still ...'' May we too be found faithful!
As I write, the large office building construction site just next door is in operation, as is the bicycle shop across the street, not to mention the nefarious cannabis dispensaries and abortion mills throughout the city. My dear friends, with due respect to authority, and yet vehement insistence we must demand and fully expect access to this essential need of the Mass and Sacraments. In these times, we seek, not the superfluous, but only the essential.
Yours in Christ the King,
Father Michael McMahon
