Message from Father Kevin D'Souza May 2020
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Basil’s,
Thank you for your kind messages and emails. I miss you all, too, and I continue to offer my daily private Mass and time of silent prayer for your intentions, health, and wellbeing.
With faith and confidence, I want to reassure you that God loves us so much that He will never abandon us. Stay strong and persevere in prayer and, God-willing, we will be able to open our churches soon and celebrate the Sacraments again.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla once said: “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what he is sending us every day in his goodness.” Realistically, you may be inclined to ask: What is He sending us these days? I hear you, – it is not always easy to be thankful in times of an unprecedented pandemic. This is certainly not what we bargained for. But perhaps He’s allowing it? There’s no easy answer but here’s the thing, there’s always a greater good that God brings about for His people. For now, all we have to do is cling to our faith and keep it alive. He is alive, and present, right there in the middle of all this with you. You are in the palm of His hand and He is watching over you and protecting you. Stay strong!
May is the Month of Our Blessed Mother and we continue to offer our prayers, petitions, and devotions to Mother Mary. On Friday the 1st of May, Bishop Crosby consecrated our entire diocese to Our Lady for healing and an end to this trial. On the same day, I also consecrated our parish and parishioners to Mary. Be assured that she loves you and you are under Her Mantle.
To all the mothers in our parish, those who act in the place of mothers, and those who have the heart of a mother, God bless you. I want to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. I will be praying for you in a very special way. Beginning with Mother Mary, we thank God for all these mothers in the world. Imagine how lost we would have been without them.
On this coming Sunday, I will be offering my Mass for all our parishioners, as always. It will be recorded and the link will be posted for you on our parish website: https://stbasilparish.ca/
For those who have been supporting the parish by dropping off your offertory envelopes or donating online through the red Donate button on the parish website, thank you so much. You are a blessing and your donations are keeping the parish fires burning.
Lastly, I will leave you with a beautiful reflection from the diocesan website. It is appropriate for this time, and most of all, a message of hope:
FROM THE CARMEL OF ST JOSEPH
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
Sincerely,
Fr. Kevin D’Souza
Pastor
St. Basil’s Parish, Brantford, ON.
