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March 18, 2020
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings of Peace in the Lord Jesus!
The time has come for a real test of our faith, a test in privation. We are suddenly deprived of many a good spiritual practice which brought us lots of spiritual joy and contentment. The scenario has changed overnight. COVID has struck! And struck so severely that the Corona Virus pandemic has brought about an imbalance in the normal rhythm of our liturgical prayer life. Churches are closed. You do not get your weekly/daily spiritual sustenance. You feel left in the lurch at a time of real crisis. (I recommend that all of you read the two letters of our Bishop in this connection uploaded on our church website). This actually is the time to prove the worth of your salt as praying, believing Christians.
The whole world is reeling under the heavy weight of the COVID 19 pandemic. It has unsettled all aspects of human life. People are in fear and anxiety with an uncertain future staring at them. Global Economy is wobbly. Markets are crashing. A global recession very much in sight, millions are likely to lose their jobs. A global crisis which needs a global response! Here is our challenge. We need to bring in here a ray of hope. We are a people of hope. Let us give that hope to the world by a Christian response to the present crisis. Let us not think of what we are deprived of at this juncture but of what we can offer to the world. At the moment the world expects from us a total Christian commitment to the eradication of the Corona Virus.
We should be happy that the UAE government is bringing into play all its resources to protect us from the deadly virus. Let us cooperate with the government initiatives in a spirit of Christian commitment. Let us not be grumbling over the temporary deprivation of the spiritual “luxury” we have been enjoying in this country so far. Our faith is not a set of pet devotions but a great asset that blooms into charity, the queen of all virtues. Charity demands that we should not be a cause of spreading “COVID”. So keep away from all public places and gatherings as much as possible. Social distancing and if necessary Self- imposed quarantine is the best policy of the hour. Pray in the privacy of your homes to the rock of all ages, Jesus. Pray for the world leaders, the scientists, the healthcare personnel and all who volunteer to serve those in distress that right policies are made, right remedies are discovered and right services are rendered to those in distress.
Eucharist is the centre of all our worship. I know that you feel terribly bad when you are deprived of this preeminent sacrament. The church has made all arrangements that the Eucharist reaches the privacy of your homes through live streaming of the same Eucharist celebrated in the privacy of our parish church. Let our attitude be when I am deprived of the best for obvious reasons let me be satisfied with the best available. Consider it a rare opportunity for the entire family to gather around the Eucharist, pray together and have a spiritual communion with the Lord. In case you cannot get live streaming, please have recourse to “Bible Alive”. Read the daily Word with the family, meditate and end with spiritual communion. Pray together and you will stay together in harmony.
Fr. Lennie J.A. Connully
Parish Priest