Coronavirus: No Confession, no Eucharist

Some practical advice on what to do in the event of the possibility of there being No Confession and no Eucharist or even no last rites, If a terrible worst case coronavirus scenario unfolds.

 

I find myself spiritually devastated by the reality that I cannot attend the Holy Sacrifice nor receive Holy Communion. There is the old expression of not fully appreciating something until it is taken away. I think of Isaac Jogues when captured and imprisoned by the Mohawks, unable for over a year to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. And so there is an immense ache in my heart. My pastor allows our church to remain open and tomorrow Adoration will still take place. And so I will celebrate Benediction at 10 pm. How focused I shall be in the midst of tears as I'm even teary-eyed now. Bishop Lucia is filming daily his celebration of Holy Mass in the Cathedral at noon. That is a gift. I pray that each and every priest in this diocese and beyond continues to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice so that the world will be imbued with grace.

Be sure to make frequent Spiritual Communions as torrentum has posted above. Impress this upon your fellow Catholics. How easy it will be to allow stagnation to slip in. Resist the devil and he will flee! Attend to the daily readings for Holy Mass. Do not give an inch to the devil's enticements. The subtle lie will be offered that the lack of Holy Mass makes no difference and that we are foolish to think otherwise. Make Spiritual Communions for others and pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet as well.

It is time to go to the hospital. Hopefully I will be able to distribute Holy Communion to the suffering, though I can't self-communicate. The nursing homes consider chaplains as non-essential personnel. It is a strange world.

Catholics are at a crucial juncture right now and our Faith is being challenged to the limit. In the midst of enveloping darkness the light of one candle shines brightly. My son, Fr. Patrick, just informed me that he is visiting homes of parishioners outside of Atlanta to bless all and hear confessions. A priest in Nebraska has set up times times for drive-through-confessions at his rectory window. Ask your priests to do the same!

Let our candles shine brightly this day!

Let God arise and his enemies be scattered! Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!

 

Such great advice!!

I love praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament at the moment.

So wonderful to see so many country folk doing the same.

 

This is a true time in the desert--a testing of severe intensity. "All that will remain to you will be the Rosary and the Sign my Son left you."(Our Lady of Akita)
I think we may be in for hard times indeed without the comfort of Our Blessed Lord's Eucharistic Presence.

 

Include me in your prayers Padraig as I have really struggled without the Eucharist and fallen.

Only to rise again please God.

 

If your church is open and has adoration go and pray the Way of the Cross in penance or the Litany of the Saints. I have been trying to go each day and pray for all here as well. I missed yesterday because I was so tired after Doctor visits but I went this this morning.
This is a challenging time to say the least but I just can't shake the impression that this is a time we will all look back on in great joy. It sounds ludicrous I know.

 

Yes. And if the Church is closed we can always park in the parking lot and pray. I've done that before.

 

I had a tear last night as our Priest warmed us at the end of the service that this might be our last Mass for a while. It’s a small group on a Tuesday and smaller still last night.

I used to be a very, very lazy Catholic and when I got my act together I decided to go during the week to make up for lost time. Now there’s no more Masses to make up for my previous lazy life.

I did get my act together in another way and recently did the first five Saturdays from November to March. I felt a real nudge to do them. When I completed I thought I would hear Angels singing and was so pleased with myself but instead I had an awful week.

But I’m so grateful for the nudge.

Now the churches are shutting and I feel lost.

Thank God for this group.

 

Nudge. An interesting word.
It’s exactly what I’ve been experiencing over the last year. Nudge after nudge.
I’ve felt a huge nudge of urgency last autumn.
I’ve absolutely no idea where it came from, just a feeling that I needed to grow my own food.
I’ve spend a good bit of money preparing by clearing the ground I needed. I had to hire someone with a JCB. Took him about 10 days to complete the job.
A nudge.
A nudge to get to confession a few weeks ago.
Nudge, nudge.

 

Yes. Me too. Many nudges. I was so grateful to get To Mass and confession last Sunday. I'm glad I followed through on confession. I felt awkward asking Father. Thanks be to God I did because who knows when I will again. If I were on my own I'd go to Mass each evening at our Eucharistic chapel but my husband does not want me out among people because I'm high risk so I have to obey. Who knows how long the chapel will be able to stay open.

 

Prayers!

 

yep. Me as well. Nudge. Nudge. Nudge. Mark Mallett described it very well here: "The deprivation of Light will lead to great confusion and fear. But those who had been absorbing the Light in this time of preparation we are now in will have an inner Light by which to guide them (for the Light can never be extinguished). Even though they will be experiencing the darkness around them, the inner Light of Jesus will be shining brightly within, supernaturally directing them from the hidden place of the heart."

 

I've got you on my beads Garabandal. We are all worried about this. I know I am. Without the sacraments and Mass and adoration......I just dont know. But look at the Japanese Catholics who held on to the faith with no church and no priest and persecution all around. For 300 years they kept their faith. Perhaps God will give us those same extraordinary graces.

 

Prayers for uplifting, garabandal.

As our Lord stumbled carrying the sins of the world, I can picture him whispering into the ear of his father for encouragement to continue. Thanks be to God, for by his Holy cross we were all given the chance of eternal salvation.

 

A similar image as Mary's Child above came to me about taking Jesus' yoke. Just be reminded, when Jesus used the image of the yoke, He was most probably using what was common in His day- 2 oxen yoked together. So when any one of us falls, the Lord is right there to help us with His strong, yet tender Mercy! Prayers, garabandal.

Repent, and believe the Gospel!

 

Yes, AED. On All Hallow's Eve, I would often take the family to pray before the Blessed Sacrament to counter some of the nuttiness of the evening. After our former Pastor started locking the church out of fear of vandalism on that night, we would then point the car at the wall of the church where the Tabernacle was on the inside, and pray away.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

 

How great is Our God!

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

 

The Pope and the Italian Bishops will be praying the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary at 9 p.m. Italian time on Thursday, the Feast of St. Joseph.
I suppose they know by now that the pachamama didn't answer their prayers so they're turning to the Mother of our Lord and Saviour, Queen of Heaven and of the Universe.

We all can join in wherever we are. I think that's about 8 p.m. here.

 

Down here in Florida priests at the St Theresa Church are hearing confessions through a drive thru. It’s really been a wonder. People drive their cars by the sides of the Church and a sitting priest outside is waiting to hear confessions. Brilliant.

 

Did anyone else have trouble live streaming EWTN Mass this morning? An odd thing happened to me this morning . . .. I was trying to get Mass live stream on EWTN because it is the solemnity of the great Saint Joseph. All the churches are closed. So, on live stream there were many glitches and the screen was black and no sound. The evil one was working overtime. So they directed everyone out of FaceBook to their main website. Got there and my satellite link started acting up, so went to my main computer, got on another portable satellite wifi. Finally got it to come in. Then it went out, so was working with two computers, two satellites, everything bounced back and forth.Stop and go, then go. Got right to the Consecration and screens went black! Finally got my iPad going, FB came on and there was a picture of our President and a big caption that said, "Thank God for President Trump". Hmmmm. That was so strange. I did catch another Mass this afternoon from the Holy Land. Has anyone else had anything happen to them today? I feel like I am in the desert.