Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all lived through the experience of being separated from our parishes and unable to attend Mass. Thankfully the pandemic is over, but there are still some who are unable to be physically present at church whether due to illness, hospitalization, or caring for a sick loved one. If you find yourself in this situation, there are plenty of ways to remain close to the Church. After all, the Body of Christ is a mystical reality which is not restricted to the four walls of a parish! Here are 5 ways to stay connected even when you can’t be there in person:
5 Ways to Stay Close to the Church When You Can’t Be There In Person
- Pray the Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours is the daily prayer of the Church, prayed by clergy, religious, and laypeople throughout the world. When we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we exercise the royal priesthood we received in our baptism and join our voice with Christ’s voice in praising the Father and interceding for the world. The Church understands the Liturgy of the Hours as both a preparation for and an outflow of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It includes five “offices” which are prayed at various hours throughout the day and consist of hymns, Psalms, readings, and prayers. The five offices are: Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are the most important hours, known as the “hinge” hours, so they are a good place to start. You can pray the Liturgy of the Hours through an app like iBreviary, through a podcast like Sing the Hours, or on CatholicTV.
- Ask someone to pray for you
When it’s not possible to be physically present with your faith community, stay connected with a phone call, email, or text message! Inviting others into our suffering and asking for their prayers helps us to know that we are not alone. You can ask others to pray for you at Mass or to bring your intentions before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. Even if we can’t be present at church, our friends can bring us there through prayer.
- Call your local parish
In addition to asking friends and family to pray for you, consider reaching out to your local parish to let the pastor know that you’re unable to get to church. Priests, deacons, or extraordinary ministers can bring you communion at home. When we receive the Eucharist, we are united with Christ and we receive spiritual nourishment for our journey. Receiving communion is a vital part of the Christian life and is especially important to do on Sundays.
When we’re not able to gather with our community, we can turn to our heavenly family to keep us company. Reading biographies or spiritual writings of the saints can increase our awareness of their companionship with us in our isolation. You might consider taking this time to learn about a new saint, perhaps one who lived through circumstances similar to yours. If you’re struggling with illness, there is no shortage of saints who were confined to a sickbed for some or all of their lives, like St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Anna Schäffer, and Venerable Marthe Robin, just to name a few. If you’re caring for someone with a serious illness, you might be interested in the stories of St. John of God, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, or St. Bernardino of Siena. Consider checking out the Saints Alive podcast which presents radio dramas about the lives of the saints, or turn to classic books like St. Therese of Lisieux’s Story of a Soul, St. Augustine’s Confessions, or G.K. Chesterton’s biography of St. Thomas Aquinas.
The CatholicTV Network is the “Parish of the Airwaves,” a family of faith for many who are unable to attend their local parishes. The Network broadcasts Holy Mass every single day of the week, plus other devotional programming like the Rosary, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, and the Stations of the Cross. In addition to prayer programming, CatholicTV airs a diverse lineup of educational, entertaining, and inspiring content. You can watch CatholicTV online and on their various apps. Find out the best way to tune in at www.catholictv.com/waystowatch.
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