Corona Controversy

Appreciating and implementing bishop’s changes

03/06/2020

Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

This morning I want to reiterate and reflect on Bishop Taylor’s new rules at Mass during this season of infectious diseases, like the flu and coronavirus. You should know that this has caused no little controversy. Some people think the bishop’s changes make perfect sense and are just common sense; others maintain they are perfect nonsense and just unnecessary. I hope this reflection not only helps us understand the rules better, but also helps us understand ourselves better; this is, we may discover why we react so strongly to change. I am convinced that self-awareness is critical to spiritual growth. Why? Every time we learn something new about ourselves, we usually learn we are not as saintly as we think we are. Only that humility can lead to true holiness.

What are the bishop’s four changes specifically? First, reception of the Eucharist at Mass in the hand rather than on the tongue except in the Latin Mass, for whom reception on the hand is not an option. Second, temporarily discontinuing the distribution of the Precious Blood at Mass. Third, foregoing the holding of hands during the Our Father. And fourth, a bow for the Sign of Peace in place of handshaking. Those are the bishop’s changes. Here at Immaculate Conception, in addition we have removed the holy water from the fonts. In many places removing holy water is a common practice during Lent as we await the newly blessed water at Easter, another symbol of the new life that Jesus’ death and resurrection brings. Let me say three things about understanding these new (albeit temporary) changes in the liturgy.

First, they are not intended to diminish anyone’s devotion at Mass, although it may feel like it. Some people feel their hands are not holy enough for the Eucharist, and a priest’s consecrated hands should touch the Body of Christ. They are not alone. St. Thomas Aquinas would agree with them and felt the same way. The Angelic Doctor wrote in the Tertia Pars (the third part) of his Summa Theologica this: “Out of reverence towards this Sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this Sacrament.” But then Aquinas adds wisely: “Hence, it is not lawful for anyone else to touch it except from necessity, for instance, if it were to fall upon the ground, or else in some other case of emergency” (Summa, III, 82, 3). Clearly, today we are experiencing that “other case of emergency” that justifies lay people receiving Communion on the hand. St. Thomas is also called the Common Doctor because he sprinkles so much common sense over his spirituality.

Secondly, the bishop’s changes are a practical application of the fundamental commandment to love your neighbor. I would certainly feel like you love me if you kept the flu and coronavirus to yourself and not give it to me! Indeed, we read in 1 John 4:20, that in a certain sense, love of neighbor supersedes the love of God. The Beloved Disciple wrote: “For whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” And our Lord himself teaches in today’s gospel from Matthew 5, “Go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come offer your gift [at the altar].” In other words, what is first in the order of intention – love of God – is frequently last in the order of execution, that is, what we do. We must first love our neighbor in order to show we truly love God. That practical consideration also lies behind the bishop’s changes.

Third, we should not forget that the Mass is an act of the public worship of the Church, not an expression of private devotion. As such (as an act of public worship), it is up to the chief legislator in a diocese to make modifications to the liturgy because it affects the common good. The care of the common good is entrusted into the hands of the bishop, and not into our own individual hands. Otherwise, we would have the inmates running the asylum. These small changes can be a healthy and holy reminder that we belong to a Church that is bigger than any individual. Indeed, it is a worldwide church which means it is a Catholic church. Don’t let American individualism trump your Catholic universalism.

Praised be Jesus Christ!