A Sunday C-Virus Update
Another summer Sunday, another "strange" Mass and Sacraments arrangement at the local parish: We continue "socially distancing" with masks on at Mass. Communion continues to be distributed only in the hand. Confessions are available in the parking lot before the Saturday anticipated Mass.
I won't complain about any of this. But a few observations are in order.
First, Mass: My wife and I began attending Sunday Mass the first weekend it was "allowed." We'll likely continue at our local parish, despite the strangeness of it all. I'm not sure what percent of the parish has returned to Mass. But the Masses we've attended have had relatively sparse attendance.
Could it be because the Sunday "obligation" has not been reinstated? There's been nothing coming from our diocese about when that reinstatement may occur. When it does, will attendance at least get back to where it was before the lockdown?
There is the possibility that it won't be reinstated. I bring this up because of the modernist "Trojan horse" that has spilled its guts into the Church in great quantity, especially in recent years. The boldness with which our "leaders" have tried to ignore or outright deny what was once considered sinful - even mortally sinful - has been impressive (and not in a good way of course). Sex outside of marriage: no big deal. Homosexual acts: perfectly normal. Abortion: maybe an occasional acknowledgment that it's a no-no (although not consistently or from every quarter). Contraception? We don't even bring up the subject in "polite company," meaning during sermons, in diocesan publications, or anywhere else I can think of when it comes from the institutional Church. Yeah, I know there are exceptions. But they're rare in my experience.
We could continue the list, but let's rather consider what each of us will do if Mass is no longer considered obligatory.
Oh, right. Even when it was, when was the last time you heard a Bishop - never mind a priest - refer to missing Sunday Mass as a mortal sin? Is it not anymore? If you think that, who can blame you. At best, you'll get a suggestion, maybe even a strong one, that attending Mass on Sunday is a good idea and good for you - or some such weak, ultimately meaningless verbiage.
We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds. If the bishops reinstate the Sunday obligation, will they do so firmly, maybe even forcefully? If they do, will people respond? If they don't will there be consequences? Will these same bishops who've hardly peeped about our Sunday obligation for years and years gin up the gumption to let people know a thing or two about "Remember thou keep holy the Lord's Day?" It is one of the Ten Commandments, after all.
As for the Sacraments, let's focus on the two that most of us once typically receive regularly: Confession and Holy Communion.
How is Confession being offered in your parish? In ours, as mentioned, it's in the parking lot. I was going to go to Confession when it was first offered. But the parking lot idea has so far been an obstacle. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe I should bite the bullet and just see what's it's like. But the idea that I have to approach Confession in this way - to see what it will be like - contradicts the very nature of confession.
Over the years, I've spent considerable time studying confession, learning from the teachings of good priests and bishops of the past about the history and nature of this wonderful Sacrament. One thing that's consistently taught is that Confession ought never, ever be a source of anxiety. Sure, it can be that if we've got a particularly grievous or embarrassing sin to confess to the priest. But as a rule, Confession exists not to "placate" God but to help us to express true sorrow for our sins along with a firm amendment not to sin again in a meaningful way - in a way that will help us actually make progress over time and consequently grow closer to God.
So going to Confession wondering what it will be like to out in the open, self-consciously keeping my voice down, while remaining at some "social distance" from the priest just doesn't sit well with me. Of course, you've got to keep your voice low in the confessional in church. But there you at least can know the priest is close enough so that won't be a problem. If he's some distance away and asks you to speak up, what then? Of course, maybe the priest won't. But if our experience with how many of our priests have managed things since the shut-down of churches and elimination of Mass and the Sacraments is any indication, I don't know that I trust them to manage confession in the parking lot. Maybe I'll get over it.
As for Holy Communion, we've already noted issues with Communion in the hand. Those issues remain. Add to this the likelihood that forbidding reception of Communion on the tongue is, frankly, an abuse of power, and you may be one of the few (at least in our parish) who refrains from receiving Holy Communion as the only option available: in the hand.
Even though we can at least attend Mass and - for some of us - receive the Sacraments, the current situation is by no means "normal." What does the future hold? Will there be a return of sanity at some point. I checked our diocesan website to find out.
Hmm...looks like there's nothing to find out there. When the churches were closed, there was an announcement. When they were going to be opened again, there was the outline of a "Five Phase" plan. Now? Nothing.
Well, not nothing. The first thing you see is the "Cardinal's Appeal." That's an annual money-raiser. Sure enough, it comes with a video of the Cardinal with his hand out.
Then there's a section on how "diverse" our diocese is. Good to know, I suppose. But anyone who's lived in this area for the last century or more shouldn't need to be "informed" of its diversity.
I'll skip the rest of the relatively trivial sections on the landing page. The other pages are the same ones that have been there since before COVID.
I had to access local media sources to find anything about the Five Phase plan. Frankly, I'd forgotten the details, so maybe a freshening up would find some light at the end of the tunnel...
Not. The "Phases" outlined conclude with "phase 5 will include Sunday Masses with supervised attendance, but also at 25 percent capacity." And that's that.
One can, one hopes, assume this isn't the end of the line for the restoration of Mass and the Sacraments. But there's certainly no light at the end of the tunnel. Even a little glimpse of a flickering candle would be welcome at this point.
I won't complain about any of this. But a few observations are in order.
First, Mass: My wife and I began attending Sunday Mass the first weekend it was "allowed." We'll likely continue at our local parish, despite the strangeness of it all. I'm not sure what percent of the parish has returned to Mass. But the Masses we've attended have had relatively sparse attendance.
Could it be because the Sunday "obligation" has not been reinstated? There's been nothing coming from our diocese about when that reinstatement may occur. When it does, will attendance at least get back to where it was before the lockdown?
There is the possibility that it won't be reinstated. I bring this up because of the modernist "Trojan horse" that has spilled its guts into the Church in great quantity, especially in recent years. The boldness with which our "leaders" have tried to ignore or outright deny what was once considered sinful - even mortally sinful - has been impressive (and not in a good way of course). Sex outside of marriage: no big deal. Homosexual acts: perfectly normal. Abortion: maybe an occasional acknowledgment that it's a no-no (although not consistently or from every quarter). Contraception? We don't even bring up the subject in "polite company," meaning during sermons, in diocesan publications, or anywhere else I can think of when it comes from the institutional Church. Yeah, I know there are exceptions. But they're rare in my experience.
We could continue the list, but let's rather consider what each of us will do if Mass is no longer considered obligatory.
Oh, right. Even when it was, when was the last time you heard a Bishop - never mind a priest - refer to missing Sunday Mass as a mortal sin? Is it not anymore? If you think that, who can blame you. At best, you'll get a suggestion, maybe even a strong one, that attending Mass on Sunday is a good idea and good for you - or some such weak, ultimately meaningless verbiage.
We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds. If the bishops reinstate the Sunday obligation, will they do so firmly, maybe even forcefully? If they do, will people respond? If they don't will there be consequences? Will these same bishops who've hardly peeped about our Sunday obligation for years and years gin up the gumption to let people know a thing or two about "Remember thou keep holy the Lord's Day?" It is one of the Ten Commandments, after all.
As for the Sacraments, let's focus on the two that most of us once typically receive regularly: Confession and Holy Communion.
How is Confession being offered in your parish? In ours, as mentioned, it's in the parking lot. I was going to go to Confession when it was first offered. But the parking lot idea has so far been an obstacle. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe I should bite the bullet and just see what's it's like. But the idea that I have to approach Confession in this way - to see what it will be like - contradicts the very nature of confession.
Over the years, I've spent considerable time studying confession, learning from the teachings of good priests and bishops of the past about the history and nature of this wonderful Sacrament. One thing that's consistently taught is that Confession ought never, ever be a source of anxiety. Sure, it can be that if we've got a particularly grievous or embarrassing sin to confess to the priest. But as a rule, Confession exists not to "placate" God but to help us to express true sorrow for our sins along with a firm amendment not to sin again in a meaningful way - in a way that will help us actually make progress over time and consequently grow closer to God.
So going to Confession wondering what it will be like to out in the open, self-consciously keeping my voice down, while remaining at some "social distance" from the priest just doesn't sit well with me. Of course, you've got to keep your voice low in the confessional in church. But there you at least can know the priest is close enough so that won't be a problem. If he's some distance away and asks you to speak up, what then? Of course, maybe the priest won't. But if our experience with how many of our priests have managed things since the shut-down of churches and elimination of Mass and the Sacraments is any indication, I don't know that I trust them to manage confession in the parking lot. Maybe I'll get over it.
As for Holy Communion, we've already noted issues with Communion in the hand. Those issues remain. Add to this the likelihood that forbidding reception of Communion on the tongue is, frankly, an abuse of power, and you may be one of the few (at least in our parish) who refrains from receiving Holy Communion as the only option available: in the hand.
Even though we can at least attend Mass and - for some of us - receive the Sacraments, the current situation is by no means "normal." What does the future hold? Will there be a return of sanity at some point. I checked our diocesan website to find out.
Hmm...looks like there's nothing to find out there. When the churches were closed, there was an announcement. When they were going to be opened again, there was the outline of a "Five Phase" plan. Now? Nothing.
Well, not nothing. The first thing you see is the "Cardinal's Appeal." That's an annual money-raiser. Sure enough, it comes with a video of the Cardinal with his hand out.
Then there's a section on how "diverse" our diocese is. Good to know, I suppose. But anyone who's lived in this area for the last century or more shouldn't need to be "informed" of its diversity.
I'll skip the rest of the relatively trivial sections on the landing page. The other pages are the same ones that have been there since before COVID.
I had to access local media sources to find anything about the Five Phase plan. Frankly, I'd forgotten the details, so maybe a freshening up would find some light at the end of the tunnel...
Not. The "Phases" outlined conclude with "phase 5 will include Sunday Masses with supervised attendance, but also at 25 percent capacity." And that's that.
One can, one hopes, assume this isn't the end of the line for the restoration of Mass and the Sacraments. But there's certainly no light at the end of the tunnel. Even a little glimpse of a flickering candle would be welcome at this point.
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