The Church of St. Patrick in Edina shared a note from Tim Smith on the topic of safety in the church's Sept. 6 bulletin.

Smith reflected that as we remember the date of Sept. 11, our minds are drawn back to the tragedy that occurred and how life is fragile.

“Our attempts at trying to ‘save our kids from danger’ and trying to protect the vulnerable from hardship are sometimes successful and sometimes not,” Smith said in the bulletin. “Recent news events just add to the panic and stress.”

While we may be tempted to try to build a safety net for ourselves, we as followers of Christ must remember that safety and security originate from God alone.

“Now that doesn't mean we throw caution to the wind," Smith said. "We use our God-given intellect to preserve life and protect the sacredness of what God has given us: our life. So in the midst of this pandemic, we take precautions (masks, social distancing, etc.) seriously; and hopefully, as a parish, we remain healthy.”

Such a precaution was recently taken by St. Patrick’s with the installation of an ionization system to help prevent the spread of germs during this time of pandemic.

“Please go to the parish website and watch Tom Buettell’s video or go to the Global Plasma System website and learn more about the science of it,” Smith said. “Every week, more and more people are showing up at St Patrick’s feeling safer and more secure. I hope you and your friends and family are becoming less afraid and more confident in both the grace of God and the attempts on our part to keep you safe.”

As we reflect on our pilgrimage on this earth, let us never forget that our destiny is to be with the Father and that our safety rests and abides in his hands.