 |
| What the plague couldn't do in 17th c. Italy coronavirus is doing in the 21st! |
Harrisburg suspends obligation, asks seniors to stay home! (Masses will continue.)
No doubt more Catholic dioceses will be taking actions. In a lot of places, state governments are calling for all these closures. I had to laugh, though, because while some are closing schools and churches, malls and public transportation generally stay open.
Really?
Hey! Don't go to Church. Go to the mall! Makes sense doesn't it. The malls are the temples of Mammon. Go worship him! Oh...but stay six feet from other shoppers.
Personally, I think Bishop Strickland has the right idea -- Eucharistic processions. They're doing that in Mobile as well using a medieval prayer against pestilence. Two good intercessors against plagues are St. Roch and St. Rosalie. Everywhere St. Roch went in Italy during the 15th century praying for those suffering from the plague, people were cured. I wonder if the Italians are asking for his help.
Want to do something practical? Instead of going ballistic, pray this prayer to St. Roch every day:
Prayer to St. Roch
O Blessed Saint Roch,
Patron of the sick,
Have pity on those
Who lie upon a bed of suffering.
Patron of the sick,
Have pity on those
Who lie upon a bed of suffering.
Your power was so great
When you were in this world,
That by the sign of the Cross,
Many were healed of their diseases.
When you were in this world,
That by the sign of the Cross,
Many were healed of their diseases.
Now that you are in heaven,
Your power is not less.
Offer, then, to God
Our sighs and tears
And obtain for us that health we seek
Through Christ our Lord.
Your power is not less.
Offer, then, to God
Our sighs and tears
And obtain for us that health we seek
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Repeat the following 3 times)
Saint Roch, pray for us,
That we may be preserved
From all diseases of body and soul.
The first thing my husband and I will do to fight coronavirus is process around our house blessing every room with holy water and praying the prayer of St. Roch. Then, I think I'll find a few friends and do a rosary walk around town ending every decade with the prayer to St. Roch asking protection for everyone in our precious little town of Woodstock. That we may be preserved
From all diseases of body and soul.
If the coronavirus leads more people to pray...well...God often uses chastisements of the body to save the soul. Shall we follow the admonition of St. Paul to rejoice in all things? (2 Corinthians 6:10) and "In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to grow in trust and love of you and your saints because of this scourge.
Can you thank God for the coronavirus? Was God kidding when he inspired St. Paul to urge us to see the "will of God" in all things? Did Paul say "all things work together for good for those who love the Lord...except plagues and sorrows?" No! "ALL THINGS work together for good -- including the coronavirus. If it inspires us to pray more, it will serve to glorify God.
Will you bless your home and join me on a rosary walk to protect your little corner of the kingdom? The worst plague isn't the corona virus; it's the plague of paganism infecting our nation. If the coronavirus becomes the "foxhole" maybe we'll see some significant conversions. Let's pray for that!
Our Lady of Monte Berico, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Roch, pray for us.
St. Rosalie, pray for us.
Can't find it now but LifeSite News said that one diocese said giving the "Sacrament of the Sick" to people with CV was OK but giving the Sacrament of the Sick to DYING PATIENTS was "problematic". Extreme Unction is FOR THE DYING. Have priests no idea what they are priests FOR???!
ReplyDeleteAnd, please, don't anyone tell me, as we are ALWAYS reminded at our parish, that the Sacrament of the Sick isn't Extreme Unction anymore.
Well, the people receiving it at death's door are certainly in extremis.
ReplyDelete