This week we not only have our Parish Mission, which I am really, really excited for, we also have two great celebrations. The first is the Presentation of the Lord. This is when we celebrate Jesus being presented at the Temple. What a great celebration this is. And we also celebrate St. Blaise, the patron saint for those with Throat issues. I will bless throats on Wednesday and then on the following Saturday and Sunday after Mass. I always look forward to blessing throats. I may even do it the old way with lighted candles. Just kidding, I don’t want to see anyone’s hair caught on fire.
Sometimes people ask me about what to do in the winter as regards the weather. What they are asking is this: How cold does it have to be to not come to Mass and how much snow is too much to not be able to make it to Mass? These are good questions, and I have a very simple answer to it: would we do our normal things, like go to get groceries, would we go to the doctor, would we go to a sporting event, if the answer is yes, than we should be at Mass. What should we do if we can’t make it to Mass because of the weather? Well, in the case of Saturday, then we should try to go to Mass on Sunday at one of the Churches, and if that is not possible, then we should spend the amount of time we would be in Mass in prayer. There may be a possibility of watching Mass on TV. But this is never a substitute for attending Mass. We should make every effort to get to Mass because God wants to give us so many graces and blessings that we can receive in Mass. These graces and blessings help us get through the week. What a great blessing it is to attend Mass and be there to hear Him speak to us and give us His Body and Blood. It is a privilege to be able to go to Mass!
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault