Time Without Holy Eucharist

The current health emergency prevents us from partaking in the Holy Eucharist. Pope Francis called the Eucharist  “Prayer par Excellence.” He said in his catechetical series in November 2017, it is “the highest, the most sublime and, at the same time, the most ‘concrete.’ In fact, it’s the encounter of love with God through His Word and the Body and Blood of Jesus. It’s an encounter with the Lord.” Being deprived of this Holy Banquet is, without a doubt, painful for many. However, there is not much to do due to the circumstances, and before we can partake again of the Holy Eucharist, we must endure the present situation.

Nevertheless, there are ways that could help us to alleviate this situation:

a) Partake of the online, T.V., or radio transmissions of the celebration of the Eucharist. When we partake of the Eucharist in this way, we must remember that we are not watching or listing a show. We are indeed searching for an encounter with the Lord. Silence, a well-disposed place, and a committed heart must accompany us. We must remain attentive without distractions. No phone, no food, no chitchat… we must put in the back of our minds that we are not watching or listening the celebration of the Eucharist as mere consumers. It is not a video or a song, it is actually an invitation to deepen our belonging to God, even though we are unable to physically consume the Body and Blood of Jesus.

b) Making real the presence of Jesus in our midst through our family prayer. This practice requires from us to go back to the first communities: “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” – Acts 2:24. We are not able to partake of the Eucharist, but we can sit down, gather our thoughts, silence ourselves, and intentionally pray. Here, we are the actors of the encounter with God. I guess we have to remember the Baptismal Rite where it is said: “He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation, so that, united with his people, you may remain for ever a member of Christ who is Priest, Prophet and King.” We partake of the priesthood of Jesus, and we all are called to spread the love of God. We have the responsibility towards the preservation and propagation of the faith. Recall the book of Deuteronomy: “take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them on your arm as a sign, and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Teach them to your children, speaking of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up, and write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates…” – Deuteronomy 10:18-20.

This pandemic, sadly, takes away our opportunity to participate in the Eucharist. Nevertheless, it gives us the opportunity to grow in our faith, in our unity with God. I invite you to actually dedicate time to:

• Exercise: keep your body healthy. Remember that exercise is as important as a good meal and a good night of sleep.
• Eat properly: even if you are distressed, remember that keeping up with balanced meals will help your overall health.
• Rest: do nothing, yes do nothing.
• Talk to someone: spend more time with your kids, your wife, your husband. Get to know them.
• Play board games: it is connected to talking to someone; playing games gives us the chance to relax, talk, and entertain ourselves.
• Silence: spend time with yourself. Shut down all distractions, namely: cellphone, T.V., computer, radio, and let yourself be comfortable without any of these things.
• Meditation: here, I invite you to get the reading of the day. There are so many apps and websites where you can get the readings of the day. Spend time with the Word of God. Read it, put it aside for a bit, and go back to it. Ask yourself: what is God inviting me to do today?
• Pray: you can say the Holy Rosary, your favorite novena, the Chaplet; but don’t forget to talk to God from your heart. Tell him your fears, your dreams, your aspiration. He never disappoints.

I really invite you to deepen your faith through your prayer life. We may not be able to do so many things we like, but don’t waste your time. Use it to grow in aspects of your life you may have been neglecting during this time of emergency; “For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’  Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” – 2 Corithinans 6:2.

My prayers for you all!