Oh Sacraments, Most Holy and Evasive

Many Catholics will live through more than ten weeks of lock-down of their churches due to the COVID19 virus. Yet, in the United States people still shop at Big Box and grocery stores. They are crowded. Obviously if people are going out for groceries, we are not truly stopping the spread of the COVID19 virus.

Even though we have a right to the "free exercise of religion" most bishops have shut down churches. At first, without any data about COVID19 this made sense, but what about now? My state's stay-at-home orders are in place until May 8, with an ambiguous opening plan, but this week golf courses are open--not the churches however.

Experts have stated there will be waves of the COVID19 virus in the Fall and into next year too. This is a long-term problem. Why not practice our faith using modern social distancing?

Why not offer more Masses so they could be less crowded? Why not allow Communion to be distributed using younger Eucharistic Ministers or even altar servers? Why not fit Eucharistic Ministers with plastic face shields or gloves for their protection? Could Masses be offered by time slots or alphabetical lists of participants to reduce the crowds? Why not drive-in Masses?

Mass requirements could be relaxed to help those who are vulnerable, but 95% of people who get COVID19 have milder illnesses not requiring hospitalization. Does the disease justify the action of canceling all Sacraments?

How do the faithful live without the Sacraments for months? Without public Masses, we go without something Christ commands us to do.

The seven Sacraments are the visible signs of invisible grace given to us by the Holy Spirit. Baptism, Reconciliation (Confession), The Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick are the seven visible signs of God's work. Without these Sacraments, we have no Church of Christ. Our Head, Jesus Christ, has lost his Body.

While the needs of the human body are a part of the Corporal Works of Mercy, we also have a need for the Spiritual Works of Mercy. These are: counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing the sinner, comforting the sorrowful, forgiving injuries, bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead.

With the COVID 19 virus, many of our Catholic schools may close due to economic hardships and distance learning requirements. If we are locked-down again in the Fall, there will be serious harm to Catholic colleges, and all Catholic education programs. The faith will not be taught properly. Many Catholic schools will not survive periods of shutdown. How will we “instruct the ignorant” without Catholic education?

People need supportive friends to live the Christian ideal. Without the Church community we cannot help the doubtful.

How do we forgive others if we go many months without the tangible healing of Confession? How does the Church "admonish the sinner" kindly without Confession?

Funerals are an important way we comfort the sorrowful. Is there a way to have them with COVID19?

How do we petition for the living and the dead if adoration chapels are locked? Praying before the Blessed Sacrament helps us focus and gives us confidence in the Holy Spirit.

We may have to bear wrongs patiently, but that does not mean we should be silent about what hurts us, and the lack of Sacraments is a great harm to the faithful.

Is the cure worse than the disease? Is our Church simply abandoning us? Is our Church guilty of being a private club rather than a light to the world? We know our priests are trying to reach us with livestreaming of Masses. Still, there is no Holy Communion, no Christ living in us.

It is time to have a serious conversation with our leaders.