Advent - Week 1 Wednesday

Gospel
MT 15:29-37

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Reflection:

Bishop Barron asks: 

"Do you notice any change in your life when you don't receive communion for awhile? "

This publication was planned long before Corona 19 was a thing. The reflections come from homilies given by the Bishop over a period of years. The question posed could have no way presaged the events of this year so the impact of the question could never have been anticipated. Within 3 weeks of the shutdown, I had gone the longest period of time without attending mass since conversion to the faith. From that day forward, we are in unknown lands. I never conceived there would come a time when the norm for us sitting in front of a TV screen watching a life streamed or recorded Mass where we can participate only virtually in the liturgy of the Eucharist. I have received the body in hand perhaps 5 times in 8 months and given the current spirally numbers of infection, it may be months more before I can again receive in person. 

There is great value, I have learned, however, in watching while in a proper disposition while Father Jeff Fleming prays an entire Mass without another person present. I gain comfort watching the Mass life streamed from Mt. Angel Abbey and there is real mystery from watching a Mass "As Gaeilge"  from Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. These are worship and celebration opportunities that would have never occurred to me as being normal ways to spend Sunday morning. 

The thing is, the decision to stay home on Sunday is mine to make. I am not forced to take these options but the church has deemed it wise to make in person attendance optional but then to make other avenues of participation possible. 

What we have now is not perfect but just as the earliest Christians had to be creative to celebrate the eucharist, we are now called upon to do the same. I don't like it. No one does. I am, however, grateful to be in communion if if I am not at Holy communion.