What I Have Missed

The weeks following Easter have one feast after another. Ascension, Pentecost, The Holy Trinity and The Holy Body and Blood of Christ. An intense time filled with celebrations. But Easter 2020 was observed in an unusual way. 

10 Week Lockdown

There were no weekly Stations of the Cross. No palms on PalmSunday, no bi-lingual Last Supper Mass, or foot washing. No Good Friday liturgy for children. On Easter Sunday we didn’t share in the resurrection to a full church in the Old Town of Zug. Good Shepherd’s Sunday came and went and Jesus’ ascension to his Father in heaven didn’t happen together with our brothers and sisters. No, we found other ways to celebrate this most important time in the liturgical year. Respect and fear of an unknown substance forced us to stay inside.
I missed the Church bells, singing, praying and listening to the Gospel. I missed preparing the Mass and speaking to the children. The month of May came and went without the First Communion celebrations. Our Confirmation classes were no longer able to meet. First Communion and Confirmation has been postponed until after the summer holidays. Hopefully by then we will have learned to live with an unknown virus that lives among us. 

Homework

I hope this time has been able to unite us with our friends and family and teach us to do without. On Pentecost the Church opened to the faithful as we once again could behold the Lamb of God, Jesus who we meet in the Eucharist. In facing the unknown, let us be filled with the Bread of Life, which nourishes us, gives us strength and transforms us to become what we eat: The Body of Christ.