May 3, 2020

Dear St. Martin of Tours Family & Friends,

A SWEETLY ORDERED LIFE

We continue our time in lockdown. I am trying to use my time to good effect, but it’s hard. Satan taunts us with doubts, depression, the spirit of procrastination, the spirit of gluttony, the spirit of sloth. I asked a friend of mine, a very worldly successful man, how he managed to keep his life in order so that he doesn’t succumb to sloth, despair, or setbacks. What he told me was a surprise:

“I get up the same time every morning at 5 a.m. I go to bed every evening at 10 p.m. After a light breakfast of coffee and maybe an egg, at 7 a.m. I make certain to exercise for an hour. As long as I do these things, I have the focus to order my life.”

The early monastic Fathers of the church would be in general agreement with my agnostic friend: They advocate rising and retiring the same time every day. They advocate going to bed early and awakening early. They advocate (after prayer and a light breakfast) to begin manual labor.

DON’T WATCH NETFLIX, WATCH FORMED!

     I mentioned in my last Pastor’s Pen our parish subscription to the Catholic media website “FORMED.” Instead of watching unhealthy and frivolous entertainments, you can access documentaries, specials, interviews, and movies that will nourish your faith like nothing you’ve ever experienced. There is something for adults, for children, and even for that very particular demographic: teenagers and young adults! It’s free. Here’s what you do:

• You click here.
• You put in the name of our parish.
• Then you put in your email address.
• They send you a confirmation in your email.
• You click that and then … you’re in!

You don’t have to be registered in our parish to use the site. I give you permission! You can let your kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, friends, and neighbors participate.

And if you scroll down a bit on our homepage, you will see the FORMED “Pick of the Week.” Just click on the image and it will take you to the weekly feature.

Finally, on the following pages of this bulletin, I have placed some screenshots of various FORMED programs and prayers. You can easily find them once you enter the FORMED website.

DOGS IN THE CHURCH

At the Chiesa Nuova, a parish church in Rome built by my patron saint Philip Neri (1515-1595), parishioners are encouraged to bring their pets to Mass, in imitation of St Philip who let his cat rest on the altar as he celebrated Mass. In the Chiesa Nuova to this day parishioners bring their pets to Mass. To this day, dogs and cats, God’s creatures, are allowed to sniff and play, as long as they remain well-behaved of course. St. Philip knew that showing love to animals and embracing them as part of the Gospel message has always been viewed by the church as a sign of sanctity.

A GOOD KIND OF VIRAL

Our Livestream Masses are going “viral.” As of this writing, we have Mass watchers from California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and even Mexico. Some have told me they like the music; others like the reverence; others still like the high quality of the Livestream; and, yes, many of them want to witness a foretaste of what Isaiah described in his 11th chapter as “The Peaceable Kingdom.”

Thy Kingdom Come,