by Michael Rivera
First, I had to adjust to teaching Music virtually when my school district closed. The first few weeks were rough and felt I was burning out. I had to remind myself that I was doing the best I could at that time. I had to stop being so hard on myself. I had to realize God was with me.
At the height of the pandemic, my grandmother Epifania died on April 17thafter battling cancer for little over a year. I was extremely close to my ‘Mama’ because she was like a second Mom to me. One of my earliest memories of her was sitting beside her as she taught me how to pray the Rosary (in Spanish of course!) She taught me to have faith and trust in God. During her illness, she showed her faith and trust in God. That gave me even greater faith and trust in Him after her passing.
When we started to livestream Mass, it was a weird feeling not having a congregation singing behind me. Now that we are back in church for public Masses, how do we sing AND be safe?When we sing, our droplets can fly as far as twenty feet and can linger in the air, potentially posing a risk. We had to make a few music changes for Mass for your safety, while keeping in mind the importance of congregational participation.
It is easy to get lost in the fear and panic, but what I have learned these past few months is that with more trust and faith in God, you can overcome any obstacle. As a community, we will overcome this temporary disruption of less singing in Mass. To have faith and trust in God, we must accept His will. As my Mama always said: “God is first, and then you follow behind.”