Dear Assumption Adorers,
Joe St. Hilaire recently suggested to me that this period of time without the public reception or adoration of the Eucharist might be uniquely difficult for our parishioners who are accustomed to spending time each week praying in the Eucharistic presence of Jesus. Joe further suggested that a letter from me might be in order, and I could not agree more.
When I first arrived at Assumption, I was immediately impressed by our monstrance. It is certainly beautiful and ornate, which brings great dignity and reverence to our prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. But even more than the metal work, I was impressed by the Latin inscription around the host: “Venite ad me, omnes, qui laboratis” (“Come to me, all you who labor”). This struck me so deeply because it is exactly the sentiment that I bring to Jesus each time I sit before the monstrance or the tabernacle. “Lord, I am burdened. Lord, I need your help. Lord, please carry me through this.” I am sure I am not alone in this.
But now, when we are faced with one of the heaviest societal burdens that we can remember, now, at exactly the wrong time, we can no longer sit in the presence of the one who gives us rest. It is a cruel irony, and one that I am sure if affecting each of us in obvious ways and in subtle ways that we may not even notice. If the presence of the Lord changes us whether we realize it or not, how much more will his absence in our lives!
More than anything else, I want you to know that I share this burden and I feel your pain. My entire life has been placed at the service of the faith, of which the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit. All of my zeal is oriented towards driving people toward the Mass, and now I am the one charged with locking our church doors and keeping people away.
Nevertheless, even on this, the 22nd day without public Mass, I think it is important to emphasize and reemphasize a few things, in which I, at least, take great solace:
- Even though the laity are asked not to attend, the Mass is still being offered, every day, by every priest, in every church in the world. We believe that the offering of the Mass is efficacious, even if celebrated by the priest alone, and the constant offering of the Mass world-wide continues to lift up the prayers and intentions of our people to the altar on high, in the sight of his divine majesty.
- We are doing the right thing! As I mentioned in my first letter after public Mass was suspended, the Eucharist is the sacrament of charity, and that charity has led us to do what is necessary for the health and safety of our society and our elderly and vulnerable parishioners, even in this dramatic fashion. When the Eucharist becomes a possession, something we seek only for our own sake, it seems that its grace has not been effective in our lives. But when the Eucharist leads us to prioritize the needs of other above ourselves, then the grace of the Lord has clearly made its mark in our souls.
- God continues to give us grace. Yes, the sacraments are the ordinary means of receiving efficacious grace. Jesus instituted the sacraments very deliberately, because he knew that our human nature, combining as it does the material and spiritual worlds, would need a material experience of the supernatural gifts of God. But in these extraordinary times, when the sacraments are not widely available, do we believe that God is going to stop offering us grace? Certainly not! I have to believe that the grace of God continues to be available to us, just in unexpected and extraordinary ways; ways that will carry us forward until we can receive the sacraments once again.
- God will use this time for his glory. God does not will evil, including the evil of disease, but he always works to bring good from it. What good might come from this? Certainly a deeper appreciation for the things we have taken for granted, like our freedoms, our families, our health, and our faith. But even more than that, I am praying that he will use this time to increase love and a zeal for the Eucharist. Given the number of people who are currently using our daily streaming Mass as a source of comfort and connection to God and each other, it seems that God is already answering this prayer.
My brothers and sisters in the Lord, it seems fortuitous that this shutdown began during Lent, a time when we traditionally make penance or commit to a spiritual resolution. I hope that you are using this time, not to relax your discipline of weekly adoration, but to increase it. Even though you may not be in the same building as the Eucharist, your act of self-offering, your laying down your burdens at the feet of Jesus, is never in vain. If you can continue your prayer regime at this time of disorder and upheaval, then it will bear fruit all the more when we return to normalcy.
May God bless you and keep you safe!
Fr. Moore 