Pastor’s Corner — October 24th, 2021
Watching Livestream Mass Does Not Fulfill Your Sunday Obligation
I’ve been hearing reports of people saying that they are not attending Mass because of the availability of the livestream Masses. This is very concerning. Here is an important reminder:
The Church teaches that missing Mass on Sundays without a serious reason is a grave sin (See Catechism #2181). Serious reasons for missing Sunday Masses are:
a) You’re sick or caring for someone who is sick (or quarantine)
b) Caring for an infant
c) Cannot physically get to Mass (travel, etc)
d) Debilitating fear of getting sick because of risk of serious illness
Since the bishop lifted the dispensation from the obligation back in May, all of the Catholics who do not fit one of the above should be at Mass on Sunday. (Since I’ve preached on this multiple times the past couple of years, I won’t rehash some of the profound theological reasons why worshipping Mass on Sunday is a commandment of God.)
It’s important to note Fr. Miguel and I have by virtue of our pastoral office the faculty to dispense parishioners from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and give you a penance to do in lieu of it, if a parishioner has a serious reason other than the above. For example, I’ve given nurses who work two 12 hr shifts on Saturday and Sundays a dispensation to miss. If you have any questions please ask one of us.
Back in March when we released our St. Pat’s COVID Reopening Plan, I explained my concern about livestreaming Masses long-term:
Jesus’ gift of himself to us in the Holy Eucharist is not optional. The sacrifice of the Mass is not optional. The real danger of long-term live streaming of the Mass consists not just in the possibility of parishioners inadvertently reducing their Sunday worship of God to a passive activity conveniently done from home on a television. Nor does the danger simply consist in the possibility of reducing our local parish community worship of God to a detached “me and Jesus” event. The real danger to long-term live streaming of Sunday Mass is the subtle lie that living as a disciple of Jesus without the grace of the Eucharist is possible or even desirable.
Yes, in this extraordinary time the good Lord has offered extraordinary graces to those who prayerfully deemed it imprudent or excessively dangerous for them to attend Sunday Mass. He has been so good to us. But as this time comes to a close, we must remember that Christian faith is inherently incarnational because we are embodied creatures. It’s simply not possible to follow Jesus or to love anyone from a digital glass cage. He wants to commune with us in Holy Communion and help us return to our community of faith through which he saves us.
The whole reason why we are offering a strict mask-required livestream Mass at the PLC in which people can receive Holy Communion is to give people a “middle-way” between watching livestream at home and fully coming back to the Church for Mass. This option has allowed for people in different places with the pandemic to adjust to coming back to worshipping God. In extending this option, we have been presuming the kind of fear and substantial health risk spoken of above that is inhibiting them from coming to the church building. Even while a lot has changed in the pandemic since it began, we still have anywhere between 15-25 people in a gym-sized building that can seat comfortably between 400-500, where this is extremely low risk of any infection. I am proud of them for coming. There truly is a place for everyone.
Since the Church’s teaching is clear and since we even have a mid-way point for people who are extra cautious, I would like to ask all of us who know someone who is not coming to Mass now to invite them to please return to Sunday Mass. Be gentle and warm in inviting them back. Each person knows whether or not they are sincerely missing Mass for a serious reason or doing so out of convenience. Each person knows in his or her heart whether or not they use the same reasoning when deciding to dine out at a restaurant, attend large family gatherings, or go to a supermarket filled with people. We cannot impose the love of God on people, only propose it. May we propose all the more in this confusing time to our friends and family to come back to worship the God who saved them from sin and death.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Mathias