Corona Confinement Blues ...
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Dear <<First Name>>,
“Writing from the madness of the Holocaust, Victor Frankl reminded us that we don’t get to choose our difficulties, but we do have the freedom to select our responses.”
This line jumped out at me as I was reading Terry Hershey's Monday morning "Sabbath Moment" letter. I was going to use it as a launching point for my Monday newsletter. And here it is Wednesday, and I'm just getting started. My energy level has dropped during the last few days. Nothing physical or serious, but I think Mother Nature, AKA God-in-disguise, may be telling me to simplify - as the above sign says in a cluttered corner of my room.
At least, I don't think it's gotten this bad:
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Much of my energy right now is going into putting on my half-hour "Coffee with Fr. Tom" chats on my Facebook page. If you want to know what I'm thinking on any given day - and have been praying about that morning - you might want to check them out. St. Anselm, whom we celebrate today, famously noted that theology is "faith seeking understanding." That has always been my motto.
I did something a little different today. I went from my usual improvised "studio-in-my-room" into the great outdoors. It was a nice, invigorating setting, and I think I'm going to keep doing it. There are a lot of lovely garden areas around here, so why not make use of the opportunities that a warming spring offers?
We are on one of the flight patterns approaching LAX from the west and north. During that half-hour video chat this morning, I heard only one plane passing overhead. Normally there would have been one every 5-10 minutes. The near-complete shutdown of the travel industry was brought strikingly to my attention in a brief video I watched last night, a flyover of the Victorville airport where several hundred airliners are parked awaiting the return to whatever "normal" might be.
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Yesterday all the priests and other parish leaders of the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region in LA got a nice three-page letter from our Regional Bishop, Ed Clark. He gave us a newsy update on the COVID-19 measures in California and in our Archdiocese, and was both effusive and detailed in his appreciation for all the ways various parishes are creatively keeping faith and our Catholic ministry and identity alive and active during these difficult times. If you'd like to read the whole letter (I recommend it) I've posted it here. But I'd especially like to quote the paragraph where he deals with counseling and confession:
Regarding Confession, we have received numerous questions about what to do. An Archdiocesan decision has not yet been determined, but the bishops of California have opened this discussion. For the moment, as one who formerly taught this material at the seminary, I would offer the following possibility. Absolution cannot be given over the phone, but hearing a person’s confession over the phone can be done. People who feel in need of counseling or who have a need to discuss their spiritual life should be welcomed and encouraged to contact you by phone. If they have perfect contrition, of course, they are forgiven – but who can be certain they have perfect contrition? People who have imperfect contrition who confess their sins (even over the phone) and who are resolved to seek absolution when it becomes available can rest assured that they are forgiven. That said, people can speak their sins with remorse over the phone and then approach you at a later date, when available, to given them absolution. I hope this advice is helpful. Personally, I think this approach is preferable to “drive up” confession where the penitent still must keep a distance of six or more feet.
Probing sacramental theology a bit, I'd like to comment that, while our faith holds that sacraments are effective signs and instruments of God's grace, including forgiveness, and are indeed important for a full and balanced spiritual life, God's love and mercy infinitely transcend them. God's forgiveness is not exclusively confined to the performance of a sacrament. The upshot is that God does not withhold the grace of His presence and love to anyone who sincerely seeks it. We need the sacraments to focus our attention and desires, but God's work is not restricted or limited by the ritual performance of a sacrament.
Regarding counseling or spiritual direction over the phone or internet, that is something that I've felt retirement has given me a unique opportunity for. If anyone would like to speak with me about counseling or spiritual direction, I am available. Please email me and I'll get back to you right away and discuss what form of communication might be best.
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Jeanne Robertson is my favorite humorist. I say humorist rather than comedian because comedians just tell jokes, while a true humorist discovers the delights and contradictions in everyday life and invites you to laugh along. Jeanne can be a great companion if you are getting cabin fever. (Btw, this link is to a large collection of her video clips. You can enjoy them for a long time.)
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Can we uninstall 2020 and reinstall it again?... I think it has a virus ...
Just asked a 6-year-old if he understands why there is no school. He said yes because they are out of toilet paper.
After years of wanting to thoroughly clean my house but lacking the time, this week I discovered that wasn’t the reason.
If you thought toilet paper was crazy ... just wait until 300 million people all want to get a haircut.
2020 is a unique Leap Year. It has 29 days in February, 300 days in March and 5 years in April.
Wearing a mask inside your home is now highly recommended Not so much to prevent COVID-19 but to stop eating.
This cleaning with alcohol is total nonsense. NOTHING gets done after that first bottle.
You think it’s bad now? In 20 years our country will be run by people home schooled by daytime drinkers….
I miss the days when we were terrified of Romaine lettuce. Ahh, the good times….
Whoever owes you money, go to their house now. They should be home.
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LEMON PICKERS NEEDED IN FLORIDA -- ONLY U.S. CITIZENS OR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS NEED APPLY
Sally Mulligan of Coral Springs , Florida, read an ad in the newspaper for one of the jobs that most Americans are not willing to do, and decided to apply. She submitted her resume to a Florida lemon grove, but seemed far too qualified for the job. She has a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan, and a master’s degree from Michigan State University. For a number of years, she worked as a social worker, and also as a school teacher. The foreman studied her application, frowned and said, "I see you are well-educated, and have an impressive resume. However, I must ask whether you have any actual experience in picking lemons?” "Well, as a matter of fact, I have," she said. "I've been married and divorced three times, owned two Chryslers, and voted for Trump.” She started work yesterday.
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Blessings, Peace, and Love,
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