Difficult times for Catholics are here. From the founding of our Church, community has been a central aspect of our faith. We gather, from our many walks of life, on a daily or weekly basis to celebrate the Eucharist, together. Increasingly, civil and health authorities are recommending the suspension of large gatherings. How do we celebrate our communal faith when we’re precluded from gathering in our parishes?

As I think about the timing of this pandemic, I can’t help but be grateful for its timing. Major disruptions are only now beginning, but the advancement of technology in the past three decades allows us to be more connected than ever. Just this morning, I spent time in Eucharistic Adoration with my children by watching a livestream on YouTube.

While we may not be able to physically attend Mass for several weeks, we still have the opportunity to attend Mass every day. Many parishes are live-streaming their liturgies on YouTube, and I’ve even found some YouTube channels that record and upload their daily liturgies. Eucharistic Adoration live-streams are widely available, as are many reflections and homilies.

To be sure, watching Mass on YouTube is very different from attending Mass in person. I feel a sense of separation, having been unable to receive the Eucharist physically. We do have to endure this physical separation for a time. However, our faith can still be vibrantly expressed.

Continue to grow in your faith, find new ways of expression, and keep in prayer the sick and suffering throughout the world. There are many Catholics who are home-bound and rarely able to attend Mass. Let’s remember them in a special way as we share the unity of this burden.

Tags: Communication Sacraments