Biden's Sexual Assault Allegation

Under the heading of, we didn't have enough problems already, so add this one to the pile.
From this article on the Vox News site:

Eeyore Eyes the Future, Gloomily

It has been almost a week since we discussed re-opening the churches. This morning I found out something about the planning our parish has been doing. My Eeyore reaction is that it will never work.

By way of prelude, our bishop has said nothing. He won’t decide what he wants to do until Archbishop Wenski of Miami announces what he is doing. Then our bishop will decide to do it, too. Also, our disappointment-a-day governor went to Washington yesterday to praise the president, sit next to him at a photo op and pick the presidential brain on a staged reopening. He did this on the day the state hit its highest death toll to date.

But the parish staff assumes:
1. The original emergency measures will remain: No cup, no holy water, no contact at kiss of peace, etc. (Suggested: Use holy water with alcohol added. Suggestion rejected.)
Everyone wearing masks. (How to receive the Host? TBA)
2. Collection baskets are being attached to poles to be wielded by ushers. (No more passing.)
3. Social distancing. Best possible seating arrangements have been worked out, using the church and Trinity Center. That means three priests — we have them — each saying five Masses can cover the usual Sunday attendance. (How do we let people know when there is no more room at the inn? TBA How do we get people to sit other than “where I always sit”? No possible answer. The ushers will have to “deal with it.” The ushers, needless to say, have not been consulted.)
5.  Older people and ones with conditions will be encouraged to stay home awhile longer. But, of course, they are the ones most likely to feel a compulsion to come anyway.)

6. Instead of depending on plans,  pray that the people themselves will produce a staggered reopening. (Two wives have stated they definitely aren’t coming if they can’t sit with their families, and another has proclaimed she’ll decide when it’s safe, and it isn’t going to be safe when the pastor says so because what does he know? The hope is that lot or people will follow that last wife’s lead.)

It is widely agreed that our parishioners will not a) read instructions, b) listen while instructions are explained or c) pay any attention to them. Ushers will have to “deal with it.”

Telling the story, in the story

This is my homily from yesterday, the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C.  The readings for the weekend (the Gospel passage is the Road to Emmaus story) are here.  In addition, if anyone is interested: at the time I am posting this, the recording of this past Sunday's mass, including my giving this homily (and doing all the usual diaconal stuff) is available here on our parish website; I suspect it will be replaced by the following weekend's mass recording by sometime this coming Saturday.  Here is the text of the homily:

Let us pray

Trump says he’s ‘best president in history of the Church’ in call with Catholic leaders

So much to say!

My Governor! Yum! Give it to them! Again!

New York Daily News:

"Gov. Cuomo angrily challenged Republicans to force hard-hit states to declare bankruptcy instead of giving them stimulus aid to cope with the coronavirus crisis.

“Pass the law. I dare you,” he raged. “You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble? .... I dare you to do that.”

The governor tore into Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) for suggesting that the GOP wouldn’t fund “blue state bailouts” for New York and other pandemic-stricken states.

He reminded McConnell that New York gives more money to the federal government than it takes back -- while Kentucky is near the top of the list of “taker” states.

“New York has bailed you out every year, every year,” Cuomo said, showing flashes of his legendary temper. “Mitch McConnell is a taker, not a giver. New Yorker is a state of givers.”...."

Andrew Cuomo's Press Conference: April 24. Maybe more than you want to know, but more informative than the guy who wants us to drink a glass of clorox.

Is this the future of mass?

Tom Reese has an interesting article at NCRonline about what social distancing far into the future might mean for mass.


https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/signs-times/how-social-distancing-may-change-way-we-do-church

This Device Might Help People Stay Off a Ventilator

I came across this article this morning.  A small medical device which doesn't require a prescription may help people know that they are beginning to suffer from Covid pneumonia before they get to the point of needing intubation.  From the article, by Dr. Richard Levitan, an emergency physician: