The light of faith in its abundance suppresses and overwhelms that of the intellect. John of the Cross tells us that “Faith… brings us to believe divinely revealed truths which transcend every natural light and infinitely exceed all human understanding…. In Hebrews we read that “Without faith it is impossible to please God” ( Hebrews 11:6). Holy Scripture tells us that “Faith come through hearing, and hearing by the words of Christ” ( Romans 10:17). John of the Cross’s Own Wilderness Experience It is the Holy Spirit who speaks to us through His Word. We have time to break open the Word of God and find solace. We are forced now to turn our eyes to Him who first loved us. We have the opportunity to fast from participating in the sacred liturgy. Like Christ driven into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights without human interaction, we have the opportunity to fast from the Precious Body of Christ, our ultimate Sacrifice.
However, dear sisters and brothers of the faith. Is seeing it on TV the same as seeing it held high at the altar of grace? Viewing the Eucharist was enough for many people. At the elevation, persons standing in the back would yell out, “Higher! Higher!” when they could not see the Sacred Host because of the people in front of them. There was a time in our Church when “seeing” the Eucharist was as good as receiving Him on one’s tongue. They consume the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, without the faithful being permitted even to stand in the back, behind the pews, to listen and watch. Our priests celebrate Mass alone, not permitted to concelebrate with others. There is no liturgy, nothing external to bolster sagging shoulders and lift lowered heads. Most sadly, on a personal note, our churches are as good as closed.
Yet we know that the love of God that surpasses all understanding upholds those who call upon Him. We hear heartbreaking stories of loved ones dying alone, separated from family. When we arrive home, we wash our hands over and over again. When we shop for food, we cover our faces. When we meet friends, we keep a minimum of six-feet away.
Fellow humans are dying from what the government calls an “unseen enemy,” referring to the Covid-19 virus that has infected more than a million (as of this writing), with hundreds of thousands dying around the world. We have a tremendous opportunity at this moment to enter the prayer closet and worship Him with abandon. My brothers and sisters, there is no greater time to be Catholic than now.
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