McGrath Institute Blog

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An image circulates on the news: a priest has taped pictures of his parishioners on his pews so that they are “there” when he is saying Mass. Presiding by oneself is empty. When there is no one to talk to, preaching goes flat. There is no energy—there is no head nod, no smile of response, no encouraging (or discouraging) body language from the “other.” Preachers may have once thought that they preached into a vacuum because they rarely got feedback. Now they know what it is like to preach into empty space. It is not the same. Why? Because preaching the Word of God is a two-way communication, a relationship of give and take between pulpit and pew.

Editorial Note: This post is part of a series intended for Catholics who are unable to participate in public celebrations of the Eucharist because of restrictions around COVID-19. Through prayerful reflection on the proper texts of the Mass each Sunday, we may still receive the fruits of Eucharistic communion.

Under the pall of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lives of people around the globe have been radically upended in countless ways. The Church shares in this upheaval, as all dioceses of the United States have canceled public Masses and are wrestling with how best to continue dispensing the sacraments—especially Confession and Anointing of the Sick—while observing necessary health precautions. It’s clear that the celebrations of Holy Week will necessarily be very different in 2020, with the rituals unfolding in empty churches. (On the bright side, with stay-at-home orders, there should be record “attendance” at the Triduum via livestream!)

Editorial Note: This post is part of a series intended for Catholics who are unable to participate in public celebrations of the Eucharist because of restrictions around COVID-19. Through prayerful reflection on the proper texts of the Mass each Sunday, we may still receive the fruits of Eucharistic communion.