Photo: Kevin Luo, Unsplash
Mass for me is not a once a week event. We are invited to come to the Table of the Lord each day to receive the Eucharist, and I am blessed to be able to attend Daily Mass. If we all knew and truly understood as Catholics that Jesus Christ is hidden in each and every tiny, white, consecrated host, we would be outraged that our state government is continuing its attempt to block us from being able to receive the Eucharist. The bread and the wine is actually and really transformed before our eyes, it is not symbolism.
Yes, as Catholics we truly believe in the Real Presence; that Jesus Christ is present in every single Tabernacle around the world, and that He is waiting for you and me to come to Him. The fact is that I need the Eucharist; we all do. The Eucharist is the nourishment for our soul, and provides us with incredible graces from God. I need the Eucharist as I need the air that I breathe. Without Him I am nothing. Christ should be the main priority in our lives, and all of our focus should be on Him before anything else in this world.
Every time we go to a Catholic Mass we are encountering Christ in a unique and mysterious way that is only possible by participating in the Mass in-person. We are blessed that the live-stream Masses are able to help the aged and infirm, and those most vulnerable from contracting the virus to connect with the Mass on a spiritual level, but the truth is that it is not the same as actively participating at the Mass in a Catholic Church. It is only by being physically present at the Mass that we can receive Christ; Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity as True God and True Man in all of His Glory as He sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Our Catholic faith calls for a personal encounter with Christ; an intimate and real relationship with the Divine that cannot be substituted with Facebook Live or YouTube. We are called to communion.
On Wednesday night the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Brooklyn Diocese that the restrictions that Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has placed on houses of worship is unconstitutional. The court's decision applies to the restrictions placed on the religious institutions in orange and red zones. Although, Masses are back on as scheduled for this weekend in our parishes the fight is not over for religious freedom. According to Governor Cuomo's most recent press conference he argues that the ruling is "moot" and "irrelevant" because the religious institutions that filed the lawsuit are no longer even in those zones, and it does not apply to other counties in New York. We need to keep praying because the case is now being brought to the lower courts.
Prior to the court ruling houses of worship within the orange zone in New York, such as areas in Staten Island, were set to close due to absurd restrictions. We have large Church buildings and yet when the restrictions are set in place there are only 25 people permitted in the building. For a public Mass we know that anyone who wants to attend cannot be turned away, and so our parishes could not meet these outrageous demands for Sunday Mass.
I understand the danger of Covid-19, but there is a way to remain safe and take proper precautions and still keep our Churches open. Our Pastors and parish priests have been working tirelessly to ensure that the safety measures and protocols are taking place at our parishes. We are social distancing, wearing masks, wiping down the pews after each Mass, and there is hand sanitizer everywhere, and yet our Churches are now not safe places and are Covid-19 spreading infernos?
Where are the statistics showing that Churches are the culprit for the spreading of the Coronavirus? What about the numbers showing how our parishes are responsible for the increase in Covid-19 cases and mass number of deaths? It was not too long ago right after the election that some of our New York politicians were dancing in the streets in massive crowds waving their arms in celebration. And what about those "peaceful protests" taking place across New York City?
The malls, retails, and liquor stores can remain open at a maximum of 50% capacity, but not our Churches? How is it that a parish Church that can hold up to 1,000 occupants or more is only limited to 25 people? So it is our houses of worship that are the hot bed for spreading the coronavirus, and it is simply not possible to have Mass while taking the proper safety precautions?
The Coronavirus is a serious matter, and no one is denying that there must be much caution when holding gatherings, but it is possible to still have Mass and be vigilant when it comes to helping to stop the spread. We know that Covid-19 is very real, and people have died because of this pandemic, but have we not been told to wear masks and social distance to protect ourselves? Our Churches are doing that, so is our government now saying that those precautions are ineffective?
It was on election day that voters in New York were told that even if they had the Coronavirus as long as they wore a mask they could come to vote. So in certain large gatherings a mask and social distancing works to protect us from the virus, but not in our Churches? We were told to listen to the science, and yet the science only applies in certain cases.
We already had to go through Lent and Easter without being able to actively participate in Mass and receive the Eucharist, and now the governor is making attempts once again to block us from the right to choose to attend Mass in-person. We have been careful by following the Coronavirus safety protocols set out by the state government and yet our Churches are still being targeted by Governor Cuomo. If we can come together and take the proper safety measures in other types of gatherings, then we can do the same in our Churches.
We have the right to attend Mass in our parishes, and we have the right to receive the Eucharist. This is neither a right or left issue because it concerns a right given to us by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It is unacceptable and infringes on our religious freedom, and is simply not the way of our country; it is not American.
Our parishes are essential services despite what any government authority tells us. The supermarkets remain open because we need food for our body, and so our Churches need to remain open because we also need food for our soul. The salvation of our soul is essential, and our Catholic Churches provide us with the services necessary to help us on our path to holiness and unity with the Triune God forever in Heaven. The government has no right to deny us of the sacraments that Christ has given to us. God is the supreme authority, not the state government. We do not answer to both God and mammon, only God alone.