If this has already been posted somewhere, I apologize. What a heart-wrenching plea from this beautiful soul. I feel it should be shared everywhere! The Holy Spirit is speaking loudly. I'm praying for all who's church is still closed.
Impassioned plea. Missing the Eucharist is heartbreaking. Many, many of us have had to endure it. Terrible situation. But I think perhaps she is wrong in assuming they will never let the churches open again. If I read the statistics correctly Northern Ireland has been experiencing 1,200 deaths a day. With a population of 1.8 million, those are a lot of deaths. Our churches were shut down in Minnesota when we were experiencing less than 50 deaths a day last year, with a population 3 times the size of Northern Ireland. My prayers go out to you in Ireland, this is devastating.
Not sure where you read that but Northern Ireland has officially had 1800 deaths with covid on death certificate from the beginning of the pandemic to now. I'm reality probably only about 100 people have died directly of covid only.
The pastors in the west must appear like a bunch of sissies compared to those in Syria, Central Africa and China who risk their lives daily to feed their sheep. The Beast sure knew what he was doing by giving us all these comforts and materialism. I admit that as a kid I never understood why so many saints chose severe ascetic lifestyles, now I totally get it. The life and Passion of Christ is repeating itself. An important part of the purification of the elect before the Pentecost was to knock out their pride through humiliation, which they got in spades after the Crucifixion. Beyond the profound grief and shock of Jesus' death, all the apostles except John must have been publicly shamed for having been so obviously absent during the Lord's Passion. The bad must have mocked the motley crew of scaredy-cats, the so-called "elect" and even the good must have called out their cowardliness too, much like this woman is saying: shepherds they are killing the body of Christ, where are you? The shame served to prepare their souls for the Pentecost because it knocked them off their high horses. They had to admit that not only were not only no better than others for having been "the elect" but they were surpassed by the poor, uneducated, and women too (oooh the shame) and even former huge sinners like Mary Magdalene who stood at the foot of the Cross. I have fought against a desire to add my own cries to this woman's, but feel it's unfair because I am no saint myself. And when I think that they will be judged the hardest by Our Lord I figure that prayer, penitence is really the most important thing for them all now.
Silly me. I Googled Northern Ireland Covid deaths. A chart came up with Northern Ireland at the top, but the graph displayed all UK deaths. Thanks for clarifying. 100 deaths is entirely different
Let's face it Church leadership has been an utter disgrace. Weak, cowardly, and nauseatingly obsequious to secular power.
Well got to our Church last night after the Police Raid on us yesterday. Adoration stopped. But the Father still gave out the Eucharist, Bless him, bless him , Bless him But only about a third of the usual congregation turned up, the sight of the police seems to have sacred most people off. How sad.
Well you know I don't want to be thought Judgemental, Rigid, Stuck in the Past or what ever other names they call people like me these days. But the Police who came to our Church last night did not beat anyone up. They did not charge anyone with a Crime. They did not drag anyone off to prison or shoot anyone. They just gave a Warning. Now if the two thirds of the Congregation that did an immediate disappearing act over a mere Warning , what are the chances that they will stay Faithful when the going gets tough? I happened up a hill one time to stray on the spot of a Mass Rock Altar . This was a large stone used outdoors in wild, hidden spots so mass could be said in secret in Penal times , when saying of hearing Mass could result in Death. But still the Catholics came. On that spot were I stood three hundred Catholics were discovered saying mass and they were all killed by English soldiers on the spot. Still the Irish people went to Mass. But today? For shame!!
Oh my goodness, did the police raid your church? I thought the UK was allowed to attend church without being raided by police. Or is Northern Ireland counted as Ireland for church, but counted as England for politics. Southern Ireland seems to be locking the people out, but UK Churches are open, certainly in my town. The numbers attending are limited to allow for social distancing. We are asked to wear masks, keep the social distance and use antibacterial hand wash, but at least we can attend services health permitting. Anyone who thinks this is all to going to end soon better think again. Even after the vaccines, they are telling us we will need masks and social distancing because the vaccines won't stop the virus, they appear to stop the symptoms. So we still have the invisible boogeyman (virus) lurking which could get us.
Apparently there is supposed to be a Third Wave coming and we will have to take vaccines for ever and ever against it. There's just no end to it. The Mass Rock In The Glen (Felix Kearney) In a lonely mountain valley In the hills of Donegal Lies one of Ireland's hallowed spots Deserted and unknown But few who write historic tales Or wield the poet's pen Can say with pride - they knelt beside The Mass Rock in the glen Our priests like wolves were hunted down O God 'twas surely hard That from the right to worship Thee Thy children were debarred But still they proudly bore Thy cross Those simple mountain men Were proud to share Thy Calvary By the Mass Rock in the glen No more on top of Croagh Hill The sentinel stands guard Our ancient foes, the foreign yoghs Have gone to their reward And he who worships God in peace May bless the fearless men Who held the faith for Ireland By the Mass Rock in the glen God Bless the glens of Ireland Every rock and mountain pass 'twas those game glens that under God Preserved for us, the Mass And if the day should come again When Ireland calls for men She will not find them wanting By the Mass Rock in the glen
I've already been offered the vaccine and declined. We will have to wait and see if they put pressure on us to get the vaccine. What would worry me is if the local church decided to only allow vaccinated people to attend. Each new strain will most likely outsmart the vaccine. We have to accept we are in a chastisement without a shadow of a doubt. God save us.
We're all going to die. None of us will live forever... But one good thing about it, it has shone the spotlight on so many very saintly clergy. We might never have gotten to know of them without all this.
A consolation perhaps is the scores of those Irish martyrs in heaven interceding for Ireland today--i am sure their intercession is powerful. As Bishop Sheen once said "the devil will have his hour but God will have His day."
I really miss going out to hear and even play music, it was about my only social outlet apart from mass, I miss that as well.
I agree with you both! One of the best exhortations I have heard in my life! What did William Wallace cry out at his execution? Freedom!
Well we just had our first driver fired for refusing to wear a mask. He was in our huge warehouse 30 foot ceilings, no one within 50 feet of him. He was ordered to wear it...fired. They give us the ultra cheap masks which fit loosely and stop nothing. It is all about control.
I'm wearing masks except when I'm at home, however I always pray that all the precautionary measures I'm taking against the virus have an effect, it's like studying for a test but still praying for success.
