I have to tell you that as a priest I have experienced and even learned a lot about us people during the days of pandemic. I am sure most of you have also experienced new things, especially in our churches. There were some good but also bad things that the pandemic exposed in us and in our behaviors. So, I have noticed that most parishioners would miss the church and the Eucharist during the lock down, and some didn’t care at all. I have noticed that most would cover their faces and sanitize their hands because they thought and cared not only about themselves but also for others, and some simply didn’t care. I have met wonderful people who wanted to help with volunteering and some who only complained. I have learned many useful things during that time, but also something else --I have noticed that most of us came to church in order to experience Jesus’ presence and focus on Him, but some were simply observing and judging others: Why does that person kneel for Communion? Why is he not covering his face? Why is she wearing those ugly clothes? Why Communion on the tongue? Jesus teaches us today in the Gospel that when we pray, we need to focus on ourselves and Him, not on others. We need to be humble and ask Him to be merciful, because we all are sinners: ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
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