How true are these words? We want our lives to return to normal. And we especially want to go back to church and the sacraments. Priests throughout this Archdiocese (and your pastor, too) are telling the truth when we say, “we miss you.” We are united, nonetheless, in prayer and we long for the comfort of just being together in the same church, praying, and sharing our faith.
We are grateful to be connected through the internet, to pray and to offer the Mass. Let’s not forget that every Mass unites heaven and earth, and every celebration of the Eucharist makes present the gift that Jesus made of His life for each one of us and for the life of the world.
But a “virtual Mass” is still virtual, right? It can be a beautiful way to be connected when there is nothing else we can do. But it is not the same as seeing one another face-to-face, drawn together in the fellowship of Christ.
For many of us, the deepest questions raised by this pandemic are about God and His designs. Where is He and what is He saying to us in this moment — what is He saying to His Church, to the nations of the world, to each of us in our own personal circumstances?
Perhaps God is calling us, in a most dramatic way, to realize how much we need Him, how we cannot live without Him. But we also see God calling us to a deeper sense of solidarity, to realize that we are responsible for one another, that we depend on one another and we have to take care of one another. Please be sure to join us for the live-streamed Mass here at Holy Cross each Saturday at 5pm or Sunday at noon in Spanish (or you can access them easily as soon as a few minutes afterward, all week long).
For now, a prayer and a few encouraging words:
“Mary, full of grace, continue to intercede for us and help us to love and to serve, and to bring the mercy and peace of your Son to our neighbors. Amen.”
A new message from Archbishop Sample:
Words of encouragement from some of the priests of the Archdiocese:
“What We Miss” from Harry Smith:
