My Thoughts on 02/07/2020

It was wonderful to have our church open for prayer yesterday. Many people called in especially in the afternoon. We will now continue this for the rest of this week and the next week. With many churches opening for mass on Sunday I must apologise that we are not doing so this week. We had another letter from the Archbishop yesterday asking that we keep a record of all who come to Mass as part of the government’s initiative of Track and Trace. As you will appreciate we need to put in place a system of not only making sure that we have an appropriate number of people in church that complies with safe distancing but also that all those who come provide their name and a means of contacting them. This information will be kept for 21 days and then destroyed.

In the Gospel today when Jesus is faced with the paralysed man stretched out on a bed the first thing that Jesus said to him ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ Only after this does he heal him physically. We need healing of body and spirit. The inner healing comes to us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This coming Saturday a priest will be available for Confession from 10:30am till 11;30am. In the guidance from the Archbishop we are asked to avoid the use of the traditional confessional, due to the restricted airflow within it. What I suggest is that the priest will be in the Martyrs chapel. The priest and penitent will be side by side facing in opposite directions.

When we receive absolution, it is God telling us , “You sins are forgiven. Rise up, take up your mat and walk” We can now walk out renewed and refreshed.