Since the introduction of Online Mass due to the health concerns of Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a decline in the number of people attending church mass even though the restrictions in the church have been lifted. Attending mass in person is still essential to experience the presence of God.
Online Mass
According to Oblates of the Virgin Mary, during the Covid 19 pandemic, it is vital to maintain a spiritual practice by regularly tuning into online broadcasts of the Catholic Mass. However, when the only Mass services available to you are virtual, keeping your relationships with God and the people in your parish alive and well can be challenging.
Even if you don't like the format of the online mass, you have to admit that it provides us with more opportunities to communicate in novel ways. Through the celebration of online Masses, people are encouraged to assist others in welcoming Jesus into their homes. There are a significant number of individuals in our modern world who are yearning for motivation, and the live streaming of mass might somehow provide hope into the living rooms of people all over the world during the pandemic.
As per America Jesuit Review, nearly all Catholics in the United States were released from the need to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. However, on February 9, 2021, the Archdiocese of Detroit announced that it would end its general dispensation effective March 13, 2021. With this move, the Archdiocese of Detroit became one of just a few dioceses that mandated Catholics to attend mass again.
During the pandemic, Catholics in many locations have been able to stay linked to the sacraments through live-streamed Masses. The archbishop applauded these Masses in a statement but cautioned that they "cannot become the norm." God did not make his appearance to us virtually, he added.
A report from Rappler stated that the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Bishop Pablo Virgilio David urged the believers to return to the churches for Sunday Mass. He asserted that the pandemic appears to be winding down, and as a result, the government medical professionals have eased up on some of the country's stricter health procedures. Therefore, people can quickly move freely and return to their daily lives and businesses while adhering to specific fundamental health rules.
According to what David had to say about the situation, it reportedly permits and obliges us to return to the normality of Christian life, which has the church's structure as its home for the performance of the liturgy, particularly the Eucharist.
David continued that "health protocols are still to be implemented" in churches and other locations for liturgical festivities. He said this to reassure Catholics that attending church services is safe.
Significance of Attending In-Person Mass
The Catholic Online reported that when one participates in the Holy Mass, they join in the everlasting liturgy in heaven and the sacrifice on Calvary. At that same spot, at the altar, the bread and the wine transform into the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. And as we step forward to take the Holy Eucharist, we do so to receive the same Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. An online mass service does not operate in this manner at all. We are a church that places a strong emphasis on sacraments and incarnation. Watching the mass on one's own won't ever be able to replace this personal contact with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, the Third Commandment requires that Christians regularly attend worship services. Jesus gave this instruction in two separate passages of the Bible. The first time was when He told us to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. And when He gave us the mandate to observe the Eucharist as His memorial. Because of these factors, Catholics should only attend mass in person if they can do so.
Related Article:Manila Archbishop Urges Churches to Limit Virtual Masses to Encourage Faithful to Attend In-Person Masses
