(Editor’s note: The Item feels that in times such as these, a spiritual perspective, such as that of Fr. Brian Flynn, is helpful. We invite clergy from any religion to submit a faith-based commentary.)
Approximately five weeks ago, the people of St. Mary and Sacred Heart parishes gathered in our church hall to celebrate Mardi Gras. It was a joyful evening of pancakes, candy, fun and games, concluding with the burning of last year’s palms to provide ashes to be placed on our foreheads signifying the beginning of the holy season of Lent. During a presentation that night, I asked our young people what they were “giving up.” One youngster said she was “giving up school” to which I responded, “You can’t give up school, that would be like me giving up Mass and closing our two churches!”
Little did I know how prophetic this youngster would be. Sadly, due to COVID-19, our public and Catholic schools have been closed, and the priests of the parish begin our preparations for Holy Week liturgies to be celebrated in empty churches without our congregations present.
These are very unusual and difficult times for us all. We are concerned about the health of loved ones, while we worry about our financial situation. It may also challenge us in our faith as we question where God is in all of this. How can we find the light of Christ in the darkness of these challenges that confront us?
Under normal circumstances we find Christ in many different ways. Many of us in the Catholic Church find Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We believe that the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ and the graces contained within sustain us throughout the week. It is the primary means by which we encounter God in our lives and the best reason for us to gather every Sunday in our churches. Sadly, to keep all safe from illness, Masses have been suspended and we cannot receive this most precious gift. I want you to know, however, that as a priest I am blessed to be able to celebrate Mass privately and continue to do so for your intentions.
For some, Lenten practices are where we encounter Christ every year. We pray the Stations of the Cross, gather for penance services to confess our sins, and join in Eucharistic adoration to come before the Lord to worship Him upon the altar. Yes, we find Christ in these age-old traditions but, sadly, they also have been suspended during these unusual times. Fortunately, we continue to offer some of these activities through social media, and I am blessed to celebrate them for you. But the fact that we cannot gather together weighs heavily on my heart.
And that I think leads me to the biggest challenge that I face as the leader of a community of faith. One of the most significant places that we encounter Christ is in one another. Gathering for Mass and for other reasons, both liturgical and social, are vital to our very being. God creates us as social beings, not meant to be alone, to encounter Him in one other. This truth is greatly missing in all our lives. In challenging times like these, what we want to do most, gather together and pray, is the thing that we are called to avoid. This very conflict between what I most want to do and what I cannot do is my greatest struggle. It is why when I receive encouraging emails or positive comments on social media a smile comes over my face and my heart is uplifted. That is God working through my parishioners in a new way, allowing me to encounter Him and those who I am called to shepherd.
In the darkness, and even as my faith is at times challenged during these difficult days, deep in my heart I know that God is with us. I know you and I can continue to encounter our Lord through our activities on social media, through spiritual reading, and through our prayers. But I also know that I am missing that human contact for which God has created us. I pray that soon this crisis will end. I pray for the doctors, nurses, first responders, lab techs, and government leaders as they seek to guide us. And I pray for the day when all houses of worship can be opened again, and we can gather as communities of faith, giving praise and glory to God, once again recognizing and encountering His presence in one another.
(Fr. Brian Flynn is the pastor of St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart parishes in Lynn.)