This is a rather unusual homily today.  Apart from the version of it in my video message to the parish, no one will actually hear me give this homily.  It's only, at this point, in written format.  But it's important to me to put in writing some of the things I expressed in my video message to parish for this weekend.

If we had been together in person at Mass this weekend, you would have seen me wearing, not the usual purple vestments of Lent, but instead the "lighter version" of purple, Rose: the liturgical color that's worn only twice each year, today and on the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  It's a beautiful symbol for the time we're in today.  It's a symbol that even amid the "purple" of suffering, there's already and always a glistening moment of hope.  And that's what our Faith gives us.  Our Faith gives us the realization that we don't have to worry.  Even amid legitimate trials, even amid difficulties, even amid a real worry that we might have for our wellbeing and that of those we love, we know that God is watching out for us.  We know that the Resurrection is the end of this story.  

And so, it is still a kind of a purple time.  It's still a shade of purple that I'm wearing at my very quiet, somewhat lonely Mass today.  It is a season of sacrifice, in which in a very unexpected way we are doing without certain of the most beautiful parts of our relatinoship with the Lord, especially the opportunity to be present at Holy Mass and receive the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Our Lord.  But we know that this purple leads to the gold of the Resurrection, the gold of Easter.  This Sunday, this Laetare Sunday as it's called, is a reminder of that.  It's a reminder that there is hope, even amid suffering.

So let's cling onto that, my dear brother and sisters.  Let's cling on to that in a very special way now in this time.  Let's pray that God will give us that spirit of hope.  It's always a grace.  We can't stir up that supernatural spirit of hope on our own, especially amid these great trials.  But we ask the Lord to give it to us. 

May you and all those you love know of my prayers and my love.  Let us continue to pray for each other!  Know that I offer Holy Mass, the beautiful priestly prayer of the Divine Office, and my own private prayers for you every single day.  Please continue to monitor stpatricksnashville.org and dioceseofnashville.com for resources and information.

God bless you!