A great French Catholic writer, Pierre Babin, wrote, “Pain is the law underlying all masterpieces.” Come to think of it – his words are so true. No great masterpiece that has survived the passage of time was created without blood, sweat, and tears. Michelangelo was an old man when he lay on his back to paint the immortal frescos on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He suffered much not only physically but also mentally and spiritually as he sparred with certain ecclesiastics. Without Mahatma Gandhi’s sacrific, India would not have achieved her freedom from colonial rule.
As I write this column, there seems to be a certain heaviness in the air. We are all locked up in our homes unable to go anywhere, unsure of what is happening, and uncertain of the future. If there is one emotion that we all seem to share, it is fear. We are experiencing fear of the unknown, fear of catching the virus and fear about when all this will end. Our fears will increase exponentially if we somehow pretend that we control our lives. We can allay our fears if only we can surrender to faith.
Through a clear directive, Cardinal Blase Cupich informed all the parishes in the archdiocese that weekend Masses and daily Masses will be canceled until further notice. Following the lead of our civic authorities, the Church is taking the necessary steps to mitigate the spread of this virus. There are far too many unknowns. It is better to be safe than sorry.
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Born in India to deeply-committed Catholic parents, Fr Britto is one of seven children. He joined the Salesians of Don Bosco as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1981.
After he completed his priestly formation and his early education in India, he came to the US for his graduate degree in Journalism at...Read more...
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