Sadness in my Heart

The ceremonies of Easter are a high point for Catholic Christians. Or at least they should be. But this year something wasn’t quite right. We sorely missed the presence of so many parishioners kept from Easter Mass by pandemic restrictions.

By the will of Jesus himself, the Eucharist is a community event. By its very nature, it demands a gathering together of the baptized. It calls for active sharing and participation. Virtual celebrations and live-streamed Masses are, quite frankly, an aberration. As Jesus tells us .... Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you can have no life in you. The point of the Eucharist is communion with Jesus, and communion with one another.

Unfortunately the Corona Virus is no respecter of heavenly realities. And government health experts have no understanding of what the Eucharist means for Catholics. Our gatherings are a problem for them, not a blessing. They lump us in with retail stores and places of business. Even there, we come out second best. The LCBO can welcome 25% of its capacity. But Catholics are limited to a paltry 15%.

As believers, we are hungry for real communion in the Body and Blood of the Lord. As Catholics, we are never satisfied by some sort of second hand participation in the Mass on our lap tops or on the television screen. We want and need the real thing. We want the Real Presence. Government restrictions on Mass attendance are a cross almost too heavy to bear.

As your Parish Priest it grieves me to bar someone hungry for Jesus, the Bread of Life, from the church. It’s a painful experience to turn someone away from the Easter celebrations. Especially when we have so many empty benches and a long waiting list. I was ordained to gather and feed the flock. Not to drive people away.

At some point we will come out of this pandemic. And the church doors will stand wide open once again. Please pray with me that the hunger we feel for communion in the Body and Blood of Christ will never leave us. Pray that all the baptized may soon be able to gather again around the altar of our parish church.  How long, O Lord, how long?

Msgr. Paul Zimmer
Pastor, St Clement Catholic Church, Etobicoke