November 20th

Dear Friends,
The root of the word, “Eucharist,” means “Thanksgiving.” This year, our Thanksgiving Day Mass will be offered at Nativity of Our Lord church at 9am. What better way to begin Thanksgiving Day weekend than by giving thanks to God through worship?

Speaking of the Eucharist: we received a letter from Cardinal Cupich last week informing us that the dispensation from the obligation to physically attend weekly Sunday Mass (or the Saturday vigil Mass) is to be discontinued beginning on the First Sunday of Advent (next weekend). One of the marks of practicing Catholics is that they attend Mass faithfully on the weekend, unless they are sick, traveling or have another important reason to miss. During the COVID pandemic, this obligation was temporarily dispensed- at first, because we were ordered to keep our churches locked and could not welcome the faithful into them. Later, to allow for understandable concerns about exposure to possible illness. Many other dioceses lifted this dispensation some time ago; the Cardinal has determined that the time is now right for it to be lifted in our Archdiocese.

What will this mean? I’m not sure. Many have returned to their practice of weekend worship, though others have enjoyed continuing watching at home on their television or computer; it can be an effort to switch back to showering, dressing and heading to church in the morning. But just as a “ZOOM” video conference is no real substitute for people coming together to meet in person, an online Mass is a poor substitute for gathering in church. And beyond that, for Catholics the highlight of the Mass is receiving Holy Communion, something not available at home. The Eucharist is food for the soul. We made do with “Spiritual Communion” when the churches were locked, but it is definitely not the same as actually receiving Christ sacramentally in the Eucharist. For the homebound, watching online or on TV is the only option, and the pandemic created a great variety of opportunities for watching at different churches and hearing different priests- this is a blessing. 

We are stronger together; we are holier together; we are more a sign of Christ’s presence in the world when we gather together. Jesus calls us to Himself each Sunday (which begins with its vigil) to unite as members of His Body, to engage the Holy Scriptures, to encounter Him in the Eucharist. Being together encourages us to hold firm in the faith. It forms us as a community. Jesus Himself told us to do it, and so we do. The Church underscores this command, highlighting its importance. Sunday Mass is once again obligatory for Catholics. Spread the word.

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ
we experienced at Mass today!