May 5, 2020

Local pastor invites participation in ‘Faith and Fitness Challenge’

REGIONAL
By Rebecca Drake

 

Watch related video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD9GNQs4o2Y&t=1s

SOUTH DEERFIELD — As members of the Body of Christ, Christians are being called to unite in prayer during this time of the COVD-19 pandemic. And one local priest is reminding parishioners that spiritual health can be connected in a unique way to physical health.

Through a “Faith and Fitness Challenge,” Father Jonathan Reardon, pastor of Holy Family Parish, here, is inviting people of faith “to combine healthy living with the health of our souls in support of others. We want our friends in the community to know that we are praying for them.”

In a message on the Holy Family Parish website, holyfamilysd.org, Father Reardon notes: “As a community of faith, we believe that we have the duty to support one another in all aspects of life. As St. Paul so rightly notes, when one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. It is time, therefore, that we do something to unite us as a faith community to show our support for those who are helping sustain us in this time of great trial.”

Running from May 1 to May 31, the challenge asks people to commit to a program of physical exercise and to “use the time spent moving to pray for those who continue to fight this disease, who are working for us, who have loved ones to care for: healthcare workers, government officials, truck drivers, employees of gas stations, convenient stores, markets, restaurants, and so on.”

Father Reardon suggests some prayers that could be prayed during the chosen form of exercise: “May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary… for every ½ mile, say one decade of the rosary … a 2.5-mile walk would equal one rosary. Other ways of prayer are perfectly acceptable; for example the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Lord’s Prayer, the Glory Be, the Litany of Trust, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or your own spontaneous words are perfectly acceptable.”

For those who need to stay at home, Father Reardon suggests domestic activities such as cleaning or gardening, “just log your time spent or miles driven and your prayer.”

Participants can log their time spent and prayers said on the parish website.

At the conclusion of the Faith and Fitness Challenge, the following gifts will be offered to participants:

• The person with the most mileage by May 31, will receive a $50 gift card to GianniFigs Restaurant in South Deerfield. (“If you are from far away, we will figure something out!” said Father Reardon.)
• The person with the most minutes will receive a reserved pew at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at Holy Family Parish on Dec. 24, 2020.
• Both will receive two free tickets to the Holy Family Parish Summerfest Picnic, tentatively scheduled for June 28, 2020.

Winners will be announced on the website and Facebook by Monday June 8.