Common Sense During Cold and Flu Season

While there hasn't been the widespread panic over the flu season that there was last year, I thought it would be wise to mention the guidelines regarding the flu season.

Unfortunately, common sense is often uncommon, especially in a liturgical environment.

Basically that guidelines are as follows:
1) If you have a cold or flu, do not recieve from the chalice. (Yes, it is possible to spread disease through sharing cups. Even when the cup contains the blood of Christ.)

2) If you are a Eucharistic Minister and have a cold or flu, find someone else to serve in your place. It is unsanitary to distribute Communion with hands that have been coughed and sneezed on. (The same should apply to the priest)

3) If you have a cold or the flu, refrain from shaking hands at the sign of people. People won't be offended if you merely wave.

4) Most importantly, if you are ill....... stay home. The Sunday Mass obligation is removed if you are ill. Remember the days when sick people stayed in bed. That wasn't a bad idea. Nowdays, we have so many medications that make you feel better, even though you are spreading your virus everywhere you go.

5) If your priest is ill, and decides to get a Eucharistic Minister to serve in his place, don't give him a hard time about it. The rules say that Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are to serve at Masses where there are insufficient clergy. They are also there to help the priest when he is unable to (or shouldn't) distribute Communion. Last year, a woman at my parish gave the pastor a tongue lashing because he delegated his station to an EM when he was ill with bronchitis.