Way back “in the olden days” when I was young and in elementary school, we always went from the city to my grandmother’s cottage in sunny seaside Scituate for a good part of the summer. Our first cousins and also my brothers and sisters in various configurations of age groups would be there for most of the summer. All the time we were there, lots of relatives and friends would also come to visit for the day and sometimes for the weekends. Even though at times it was very crowded and quite noisy, it was never too crowded or too noisy because loved ones were all there.

The re-opening of our Parish Weekend Masses continues to take place “successfully”. I think most of us are aware that the rules in another Parish in the Archdiocese were not followed and the Parish had to close down completely for two weeks. A parishioner with symptoms of COVID came to church and engaged with the priests with the resulting closing of the church for two weeks. The priests and staff had to go into quarantine. So far we are “successful” here at Saint Mary’s because everyone is following the rules and we are most cautiously and carefully moving forward. The key values are safety and reverence. There are some people who are pushing and pressing to open more; they are at times loud and noisy, but they are actually quite few in number. They want to take risks about your health and life, but in the end, they would not be willing to be responsible. Bossy or bully-like people never take responsibility for their actions. They blame others or you.

In our first reading, we learn that the prophet Jeremiah was not easily intimidated. We also learn that his prophetic vocation was as difficult to accept as it was unambiguous in meaning: A quote found early in the first chapter describes it quite accurately: “To root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant”. Jeremiah was a prophet to the Jewish people just before the Great Babylonian Exile. This prophet loudly told them that its apostasy and infi-delity would bring it all the way down, as indeed it did. His dire and forbidding warnings, though they came to be true, were no way to win acceptance and affirmation by everyone, from the highest and grand level of the king to the lowest and poorest citizen of Judah.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

During this past week the wonderful warmer days of summer have arrived. There have been hints for a while, but this week brought us the better weather of summer. As New Englanders by birth or by choice, we are used to the unstable weather and the unpredictable patterns of the Northeast. I guess in so many ways the New England Yankee stoic approach to acceptance of our weather is much what we need as we move on through the various Phases of Return from the Pandemic Directives. More importantly, our faith can help us with fortitude, strength, patience, and grace to get to the very far side of all this.

Most of us are fascinated by the beauty of the classic Latin hymn “Panis Angelicus”. Although there are many Latin hymns in our tradition, only a few are really “great”. This hymn “the Bread of Angels” is certainly one. Folks of all ages are drawn to it because of its interior melodic beauty. What is most interesting is that this “bread of angels” is really the holy bread for humans. It is Jesus who gives us his Body under the appearance of bread, not the angels.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s, Cardinal Sean announced that we will begin (again) the special “Year of the Eucharist” this Sunday, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. With the limitations and requirements of the Pandemic these past months influencing our church life so profoundly,there is a more powerful meaning to this Year of the Eucharist for us. One of the distinguishing hallmarks of Catholicism is that whenever and wherever possible, we are expected to participate in the Sunday Mass. Unlike so many other parts of this country, we have so many Masses each weekend that we may have in many ways come to devaluate the Mass grace and meaning in our lives. This time of enforced abstinence has allowed many of us to come to feel how much we need the Holy Mass and Communion. Indeed it is a privilege to be a participate at Mass, Mass is not a burden or an “obligation”.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

I am delighted to tell you that our “Re-opening” this past weekend was most successful and went extraordinarily well. The hours and hours of planning and preparation to insure that all the Masses were very reverent and very safe along with the addition of our special volunteer “Ambassadors” and also with the cooperation and support of the congregation allowed us to launch these Sunday Liturgies. The attendance at the Masses was: 50 at Saturday 4 PM, 70 at Sunday 7:30 AM and 90 at the 10:30 AM. (Maximum allowed capacity is approximately 180) I was pleased that many folks thoughtfully decided to attend or decided not attend Mass.

It has often been said that no one can know someone else 100% and that there is always a little mystery in every person, no matter. This usually makes for a more interesting relationship and life. When we realize that we always have more to discover in ourselves or other people, it makes sense that there is always more mystery to be discovered in God. Certainly, the sacred mystery of the Holy Trinity, which is one God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, always has some more to be discovered and understood. The depth and beauty of our God is a reality that is an unfolding mystery, which we will never cease contemplating and celebrating.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

This weekend, May 30-31, we will “re-open our Parish” to Saturday/Sunday Masses. We begin this reopening on a special, powerful and meaningful feast: The Feast of Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, also called the Birthday (Beginning) of the Church. After this long quarantine we are at a “new beginning” of our Parish and its spiritual life. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Lord Jesus, is with us as we start the “baby steps” to begin to walk and re-open our Parish. I invite you to read this letter closely because although everyone is invited, there are many, many of you who should remain at home for health and safety reasons.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, a very important Feast Day in our Church Faith and Tradition. The gospel account of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles is a great symbol of how the Holy Spirit will open wide the horizons of our minds and hearts. The power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is unequaled in power in everyone's life.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

On this past Monday we all greeted with joy the announcement of the Governor that our churches may now re-open. Because we all kept the principle of concern for others and then ourselves, our observance of quarantine and use of masks have allowed him to declare that we now begin re-opening by careful, cautious and deliberate steps which keep everyone safe and well. The Covid-19 virus has not gone away, but instead it has been curbed by everyone’s cooperation. We need to continue all these steps and procedures as we re-open our churches. We must begin by carefully preparing and then cooperating to keep everyone safe. Indeed the vulnerable and the elderly still need “to stay safer at home.” Cardinal Sean continues the dispensation for everyone who is older or has health conditions to miss Mass.

We need to remember that when we read from the Gospel of John, such as this weekend, we are reading a scripture passage which is written after a long time of reflection and living experience. John wrote his Gospel sometime between 90 A.D. and 100 A.D. In art John is symbolized as an eagle, mainly because he soars so high in his thoughts, expressions, and meaning. His Gospel begins with the eloquent words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God …". We recognize that these starting words of John actually match up in theme and expression to the very first words of the Bible in the Book of Genesis. We discover in John that this special "Word" who was in the beginning with God, now begins his journey home to God. The journey of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem is the journey of the Word made flesh returning home by his Death and Resurrection.

The Gospel writer John in today's selected passage tells us that Jesus promises the Spirit. This promise is made during the very long talk that John has Jesus give at the Last Supper. The believers of then would have realized that John had assembled a whole series of quotes of Jesus and had made them prominent by placing them all together at the Last Supper. By John doing this, he is telling us to pay strict and close attention to all these words and quotes. He realizes that the various meanings of these words take power after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Indeed, John is the only Gospel writer who tells us the very important teachings and sayings which Jesus gave at the Last Supper. We know that the Apostles had heard these words, but that they needed a great deal of time to ponder and come to understand them. Do not forget that John says at the end of his Gospel that he has only written down so much of what Jesus said as there would not be enough books available for him to write into record all that Jesus said.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

In listening to Governor Baker we can all start to prepare ourselves for the “re-opening” of our previous lives. To be sure it is still a little distant, but it seems to be in sight. We are still called to remember and value “the common good” as we are getting poised to start again. Letting up now would be a great mistake. We need, as Saint Paul says, “stay the course and finish the race”.For most of us our faith has allowed us to meet each day and deal with whatever has been the difficulties or problems. Remembering the grace that faith gives to us to be strong and hopeful helps us to deal with Isolation, fear or worry. We are always blessed by the Lord and surrounded by his light and grace.

When I drive down Union Street to where it meets King Street, when I am stopped at the lights, I can see a big construction site just beyond the lights. In a sense I look forward to checking up on it each time I come to the lights. I get to see the progress of it all. I note how it has taken many steps and many different construction trades to build it. Of course, it starts with the General Contractor who has to put it all together. He/They are the ones who have to get the site surveyed correctly, the hole dug for the foundation, and then the forms built and poured for it all. Framers, insulators, plumbers, electricians, insulators, and all sorts of tradespeople and craftspeople have to work on this project. Lots and lots of building supplies are needed. Whether it is a big building or a house, each requires a lot of tradespeople and craftspeople and also supplies and materials. Are you aware that today's readings actually show us a similar construction plan for the church?

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary,

As the days lengthen with the beauty of the sunlight and warmth, most of us are desiring to gather with family and friends on weekends to enjoy their love and friendship, but it is still not yet possible. The outside temperature has started to warm u during the day, but still it is cool enough to dampen about of the desire for the outdoors. The wheel of life and time continues to turn and we know that this Sunday, May 10, 2020 is Mother’s Day. On this day we honor all those who cared for us as our Mothers. This is the wonderful remembrance day of “Mother’s Day.” Also, hidden a little bit in our unconscious is that this is the season for First Communion’s, Weddings and Graduations.

During these weeks that all of us are trying to cooperate as closely as possible with the Directives of “stay at home” and “social distancing”, our daily life can get a little too close and people can get a little too sensitive. Usually behavior that can be let go can sometimes, can become a major irritant. The friction of being together so much and not having our regular life can cause all sorts of problems. We can forget about the larger common good and go back to the regular narcissistic orientated culture that we had lived in and functioned in each day “What is best for me is really best for everyone.”

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

I remember the great Polio Epidemic of the mid-nineteen fifties. My memory is that of a little boy who really did not understand a lot about it. As I recall we were delayed from returning to school in September and ended up spending a few more weeks at my Grandmother’s house in Scituate. We also learned new and important rules about hygiene. We were told never to use anyone else’s used silverware, never drink from some else’s glass or cup or never eat from their plate. We also were told never drink from a public water (“bub-lah”). We all remember some of the young people who contracted polio and had to use iron lungs for a long time.