"CHURCH OPEN» (VII episode) - HOW SAVED FROM CORONAVIRUS? CERTAINLY NOT WITH RAINBOWS AND THE WORDS “WE'LL MAKE IT”, IMPLIED: SUN WITH OUR FORCES. BUT ASKING GOD: "ASK AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN; SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND, Knock and it shall be open " [Mt 7, 7]

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We offer our readers this third precious videos of our esteemed brother John Zanchi, priest of the Diocese of Arezzo, so that it can also serve as an effective and wise antidote to all those who unfortunately, at this time of extraordinary crisis and emergency, They have nothing better to do than argue, often in harsh and aggressive tone, against decisions taken by our bishops for safety reasons to protect public health: suspend the sacred celebrations and in many cases close the churches. Recall that the Church, during crises and emergencies, It has never been saved by the controversy of those who stand for all time the most faithful among the faithful or to the purest of the pure, but the unit. Someone has written these days that "the bishops are committing suicide the Italian Church". Unfortunately he did not understand anything of the essence of the Catholic faith: the church “if suicidal” attacking the bishops, instead follow them and support them in a moment of so severe test.

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VIDEO SHOOTING AND ASSEMBLY BY THE ISSUER TELESANDOMENICO (AREZZO)

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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John Zanchi

Welcome to the VII episode of Chiesa Aperta!

In this time of a pandemic, a priest at the door of his church hung the following written: "Thus says the Lord: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it shall be opened!” (Mt 7, 7)», to bring home to his faithful that the priest remains available to them, prejudice course due prudence and the necessary confidentiality (cf The deep, 18 March 2020). So even in the time of a pandemic churches remain open, without public celebrations, as a sign of the Church that remains open glory of God and the salvation of men.

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In this emergency situation our Bishops have excused from duty to attend Sunday Mass, which is one of the general precepts of the Church. But it remains the obligation to sanctify Sunday, it is a divine commandment: "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath" (It is cf 20, 8 – 10).

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We note that the ecclesiastical law already covers cases in which "the absence of a sacred minister or for other grave cause can not participate in the Eucharistic celebration"; in such a situation, "It is strongly recommended that the faithful ... to spend an appropriate amount of time personally or family prayer" (Code of Canon Law, 1248 §2).

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In this Sunday and more to follow, the Church remains open then anyway for the sanctification of the Lord's Day, Memorial of Christ's Resurrection: in churches of stone and brick Clergy continues to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice and Christian families, "Small domestic churches" (cf The light 11) and Christians who live alone, They will unite spiritually, as well through direct television or radio, by which it is guaranteed in a certain way at least the participation in the Liturgy of the Sunday Word (readings, homily, profession of faith, universal prayer); unfortunately currently the Eucharist can hardly be received in the holy communion, but at least the spiritual communion always remains possible, especially on Sunday. Also do not forget that the Sunday Liturgy is not reduced to Mass, but also contemplates the Liturgy of the Hours, articulated in well 7 moments spread throughout the day, especially Lauds and Vespers; are prayers that can easily be celebrated with family or alone, especially in Sunday.

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Even in normal times, the sanctification of Sunday is not reduced to participation in Holy Mass and the Sunday obligation also includes the duty of the rest, that is the refrain "from those jobs and those matters which impede the worship of God and disturb their daily joy of the Lord, or the relaxation of mind and body" (In the same place, 1247). This time a pandemic is characterized unfortunately by the forced cessation of so many daily activities, but Sunday rest is not simply take time off work, but to live the Sunday devoting more time to God, to themselves and to the next.

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We recall here it teaches us Catechism of the Catholic Church to the number 2186:

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"It is a duty for Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet can not rest from work because of poverty and misery. By Christian piety Sunday is traditionally consecrated to good works and humble service of the sick they need, the infirm, seniors. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by giving to their family and their relatives the time and attention that you can hardly accord them the other days of the week » (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2186).

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In this exceptional situation, every Christian must discern how to apply these standards of conduct Sunday. Rest does not mean simply do plenty of entertainment and distraction; Sunday rest should also be a time dedicated to the training of their faith through information and the study of religious and spiritual topics; for instance, the reading of the Pastoral Note of the Italian Bishops entitled The Day of the Lord, published way back in 1984 but always present and available easily on the internet WHO. For too long we have neglected on Sunday as the Lord's Day, reducing wearily only to participation in Holy Mass or, even worse, occasion to give us our own convenience, defrauding happily the day of God that belongs in a special way and that he gives us for free for our spiritual health. Now is the time to rediscover Sunday at its true value and in all its aspects; the painful deprivation of Sunday Mass paradoxically helps us in this rediscovery.

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I conclude by recalling that on Sunday It is simultaneously both "the first day of the week", one in which Christ rose from the dead, is "the eighth day", advance and waiting for the "day without evening" in which the people of the saved will enter definitively into "God's rest" (cf. Preface for Sundays in Ordinary Time X, Roman missal). This is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church the numbers 2185 e 2188 remember that Sunday is characterized by the "joy proper to the Lord's Day" and must be "lived as the day of our liberation, that makes us participate in the festive assembly and assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven " (EB 12, 22 – 23)».

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The Sunday gladness especially striking every year on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, in which the Holy Church sings at the beginning of the Mass:

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"Rallégrati, Jerusalem, and all ye that love her, regroup. Exult and rejoice, you who mourned for her: eat your fill of the abundance of your consolation " (cf Is 66, 10 – 11).

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These prophetic words They remain true even in time of distress, because the risen Christ dispels the darkness of death. Until there is a Sunday to celebrate, the Church remains open.

Santa and good Sunday to all!

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 22 March 2020

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