Some 5th Sunday after Easter Thoughts with a COVID-19 Overlay
Last year, for the 5th Sunday after Easter, in anticipation of the Feast of the Ascension, we posted this:
"The Feast of the Ascension has always been a festive, joyful day, despite the fact that it commemorates Our Lord leaving his Mother and disciples here on earth to join again with His Father in Heaven. Growing up, all holy days were celebrations. Our Catholic school was closed for the feast. We attended Mass. As a child, I believed the Ascension took place exactly as recounted in the Gospel. Jesus rose from this earth and ascended upward, eventually "disappearing" into the clouds.
I've had many years as an adult to think about the Ascension. During one stretch a skeptical tinge colored my more "mature" intellect, I wondered how probable it was that the event recalled in the Gospel literally took place. Doubt replaced belief.
Currently, I've considered the view of artist Daniel Mitsui, a fine artist and thoughtful Catholic. If I understand him correctly, his default position on events portrayed in the Bible that challenge the laws of nature is that they occurred, exactly as portrayed. So that means Jonah did, in fact, spend three days in the belly of the whale. It also means my childish acceptance of the details of the Ascension was correct. So much for that "mature" intellect.
Whatever the correct details of the actual event, we know Our Lord left His Mother and His disciples after spending time with them during the forty days after His Resurrection. But despite the "disappearance" of His glorified Body, we know that He remains physically Present to us here on earth in the Holy Eucharist - the Real Presence of His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We can literally consume Him and make His Real Presence a part of our own body and soul when we receive Holy Communion. We can also place ourselves ourselves in His Real Presence when we visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
He never really left us."
The substance of these comments remains valid today. On the other hand, much has changed with the onslaught of COVID-19.
While some of us may finally be able to access Mass and the Sacraments, many of us remain bereft of them. Our local parish opens its doors for 2 hours - and only 2 hours - each day. For a working man, those hours don't really allow for even a visit.
As opposed to some parishes that offer devotions like Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, or times when Confession is offered, our parish has been silent on all this. Sure, you can access daily Mass online. But it's not the same as being there. Personally, I have watched Sunday Mass, but on a daily basis, I prefer praying the Mass of St. John (which we recently posted) rather than stare at a screen. But that's just me.
Sometimes, rather than get hung up on the "No Mass" diktat leveled on us, I thank God for all the Masses I've been blessed to attend in my life. The lack of availability of Confession has helped spur me on to better daily Examination of Conscience - something I've never been consistent with in the past. With Spiritual Communions replacing physical reception of Our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, I've been forced to think more deeply about this precious Sacrament than was the case many times when Communion was readily available.
So while things have changed, that change hasn't been all good or bad. Can we thus consider this mess we're in a mixed blessing? It might be a stretch for some of us, especially if we're out of a job. But it's times that really try us that typically push us to ramp up our spiritual game.
This week, in our weekday posts, we'll take a look at a piece I recently read that tries to see what's happened to us from a serious Catholic perspective. It's intended to shake us up, even as we remain locked up.
For now, let's finish today's post with this simple reminder from last year's post:
"He never really left us."
Even in our physical isolation, He remains with us. He will never abandon us.
"The Feast of the Ascension has always been a festive, joyful day, despite the fact that it commemorates Our Lord leaving his Mother and disciples here on earth to join again with His Father in Heaven. Growing up, all holy days were celebrations. Our Catholic school was closed for the feast. We attended Mass. As a child, I believed the Ascension took place exactly as recounted in the Gospel. Jesus rose from this earth and ascended upward, eventually "disappearing" into the clouds.
I've had many years as an adult to think about the Ascension. During one stretch a skeptical tinge colored my more "mature" intellect, I wondered how probable it was that the event recalled in the Gospel literally took place. Doubt replaced belief.
Currently, I've considered the view of artist Daniel Mitsui, a fine artist and thoughtful Catholic. If I understand him correctly, his default position on events portrayed in the Bible that challenge the laws of nature is that they occurred, exactly as portrayed. So that means Jonah did, in fact, spend three days in the belly of the whale. It also means my childish acceptance of the details of the Ascension was correct. So much for that "mature" intellect.
Whatever the correct details of the actual event, we know Our Lord left His Mother and His disciples after spending time with them during the forty days after His Resurrection. But despite the "disappearance" of His glorified Body, we know that He remains physically Present to us here on earth in the Holy Eucharist - the Real Presence of His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We can literally consume Him and make His Real Presence a part of our own body and soul when we receive Holy Communion. We can also place ourselves ourselves in His Real Presence when we visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
He never really left us."
The substance of these comments remains valid today. On the other hand, much has changed with the onslaught of COVID-19.
While some of us may finally be able to access Mass and the Sacraments, many of us remain bereft of them. Our local parish opens its doors for 2 hours - and only 2 hours - each day. For a working man, those hours don't really allow for even a visit.
As opposed to some parishes that offer devotions like Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, or times when Confession is offered, our parish has been silent on all this. Sure, you can access daily Mass online. But it's not the same as being there. Personally, I have watched Sunday Mass, but on a daily basis, I prefer praying the Mass of St. John (which we recently posted) rather than stare at a screen. But that's just me.
Sometimes, rather than get hung up on the "No Mass" diktat leveled on us, I thank God for all the Masses I've been blessed to attend in my life. The lack of availability of Confession has helped spur me on to better daily Examination of Conscience - something I've never been consistent with in the past. With Spiritual Communions replacing physical reception of Our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, I've been forced to think more deeply about this precious Sacrament than was the case many times when Communion was readily available.
So while things have changed, that change hasn't been all good or bad. Can we thus consider this mess we're in a mixed blessing? It might be a stretch for some of us, especially if we're out of a job. But it's times that really try us that typically push us to ramp up our spiritual game.
This week, in our weekday posts, we'll take a look at a piece I recently read that tries to see what's happened to us from a serious Catholic perspective. It's intended to shake us up, even as we remain locked up.
For now, let's finish today's post with this simple reminder from last year's post:
"He never really left us."
Even in our physical isolation, He remains with us. He will never abandon us.
Happy Easter!
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