Eucharistic celebration, there are ways one can make the best of Virtual Eucharistic Participation.
“Christ does not speak in the past, but in the present, even as he is present in the liturgical action ….”
complementary to liturgical services in the real world. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the current times are extra-ordinary and they call for equally extraordinary provisional means of sustaining the people’s faith in these difficult times. The Church, in her history
went through very difficult times like persecutions where she had to celebrate Mass in hidden places such as catacombs. She had to find ways to sustain the people’s faith. While the Virtual Eucharistic Participation is never a substitute for the real-world Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 2020 |
How does one make the best of Virtual Eucharistic Participation? Many of the faithful who participate in a Virtual Eucharistic celebration discover that there is a huge difference between going to Mass and simply watching Mass on a parish Facebook page or on other internet platforms. Some cannot help it but just feel so lost because the environment and atmosphere at church and at their houses is just irreconcilably different. Moreover, there tends to be many distractions at home and sometimes it is just difficult to concentrate at home. This should not be surprising because, “By its very nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication which enable it to engage the whole human person.” For example, “the harmony of the rite, the liturgical vestments, the furnishings and the sacred space” (Sacramentum Caritatis 40). This is something a home cannot offer. Moreover, full participation in the Eucharist takes place when the faithful approach the altar in person to receive communion (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, Canon 919). Be that as it may, under the current circumstances 6
