3/27/20
Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,
I hope you are doing well and not too stir-crazy! This time of quarantine is a time to grow in one of the hardest virtues to acquire– patience. As we find ourselves cooped up with our families or roommates we can strive to grow in charity. As we come to know each other's faults and foibles up close and personally, we can grow in charity through the difficulty of loving those we're in close proximity with.
A real difficulty I find is the uncertainty of it all. Will this state of affairs last a couple weeks or a couple months or more? What will things look like afterwards– a return to normalcy, or a whole new era? It's easy to drown in anxiety and fear. But that will do us no good. That road leads only to despair. Instead turn to God: trust in His Divine Providence. Do not dwell on feelings and thoughts of panic and anxiety but turn your mind to God's goodness, to His love. Things probably won't turn out as we expect, but God will still be with us regardless of how things turn out. We need spiritual strength in order to not only make it through, but to thrive. Trust in God's grace and everything will work out for us in the end.
Having a daily prayer schedule will help tremendously. Not succumbing to the chaos of unstructured days will prevent us from slipping into anxiety and despair or just simply wasting our time on things that fail to strengthen us for this ordeal. Setting times of prayer and fruitful recreation that build us up will help us to grow spiritually in these strange times, help us hear God's voice amidst the noise of the world, and grow in the graces He wants to give us now.
How Can St. Joseph's Help?
As we all endure the pandemic, our parish community is here to help you. Here is what we are currently doing:
Our prayers will be with you, and make sure to pray for our parish community yourselves. This trial is a time where we can all grow spiritually in the virtues that God calls us to. It is a time when we can grow in charity for each other as a community that is a part of the Body of Christ. May God abundantly bless you!
In Christ,
Fr. Boniface Endorf, O.P.