Our hunger for God cannot be forgotten, even during COVID we can find ways to encounter him. Today, Dr.Sri uses St.John Paul II’s leadership and perseverance in communist Poland to inspire us to seek the sacraments and cling to Christ in a safe but faithful way during COVID.
Snippet from the Show
“Connection is more important than perfection.”
Shownotes
Our hunger for God cannot be forgotten, may we continue to seek him with all of our hearts no matter how difficult our external circumstances are.
Shownotes
When I was on pilgrimage last summer to Poland with Beth, my favorite place to visit was Nowa Huta, a city just outside of Kraków. Nowa Huta means “new city”, it was built in the communist era by the communist regime to be the ideal atheistic communistic city. It was a city dedicated to work and industry, and most of all, it was meant to be a city without God. The communists did not want God in Nowa Huta, they outlawed public worship and prohibited the construction of churches. However, the Catholic polish workers of Nowa Huta wanted a church, they wanted God. Consequently, a great struggle ensued between Catholics and the communists over a cross that Catholics would place right in the middle of the fields of the city. This act of defiance, led to riots and tension between the Catholics and the communists. At the very center of this struggle, was St. John Paul II, who at the time was a young auxiliary bishop of Krakow. From 1957-19977, St.John Paull II would celebrate a Christmas Eve mass every year to show regime that the people of Nowa Huta wanted God. St.John Paull II had a great urgency to bring the sacraments to his flock and did everything he could to support them in their faith.
In these uncertain times, I encourage us to be inspired by the faith and perseverance of St. John Paul II and all the Catholics who fought for the faith and didn’t give up. While COVID has certainly made it more difficult to encounter Christ physically, now that churches are beginning to open up throughout the country, I encourage us to find creative ways to seek the sacraments while always using prudence and following precautions. Ask yourself, what you can do to draw near to Christ during these times. Make small sacrifices to seek the sacraments, and make an effort to go to confession and worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, while being safe. It is important for us to remain faithful even in the midst of trial. We should also find ways to make the sacraments readily accessible during these tough times. I share some of the success stories I have seen, please share with me your creative ideas!
Takeaways:
- Make online masses personal and beautiful.
- Make Eucharistic Adoration available in a safe way.
- Hold beautiful outdoor masses where many people can worship while being socially distanced.
- Make mass and confession readily available.
- Encourage parishes to think of creative ways to administer the sacraments.
Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at https://edwardsri.com/
- Subscribe to our show by texting “allthingscatholic” to 33-777
- Hebrews: The New and Eternal Covenant Study Program
- As parishes plan for the fall, Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings!
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.
Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.
