"Cardinal Schönborn urged, "Do everything possible, and the impossible, to allow the faithful and persons seeking God -- whom God awaits -- to have access to Jesus in the Eucharist: Don't close the doors of your churches, please!" He observed that there are many people who no longer go to Mass, but will still step inside a church if it is open. They may come to light a candle, he noted, or a grandmother might visit with her grandchildren to show small signs of devotion. For these, the prelate exhorted, "Let us leave our churches open!" (a Zenith.org report, October 1, 2009)
This is a very interesting comment from the Cardinal Archbishop of Austria. I remember during my childhood way back in the 70s churches were most of the time open. There would be a group of people or individuals praying here and there. Those flickering votive candles remind me that this is the house of God and that our little prayers are like flickering candles that stands before the throne of God. In our finiteness we transcend the infiniteness of God. We feel the love of God and the warmth of His presence. The quiet atmosphere in the church foster solitude and commune with God. A solace and refuge from the storms of life. How sad that even as some churches remain close, many of our priests are hardly visible in the Church. I do not why our priests cannot spend sometime inside the church. Just praying or meeting people as they come. Lets pray for our priests so that they may have the devotion and dedication of St. John Baptist Mary Vianney, the simple cure of Ars.
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