“What will you choose?” Those were the words my middle school basketball coach asked each one of us the first year. He had a rule where we could not go to score until we passed the ball around at least three times. It was very tempting to ignore that rule because we all wanted to prove ourselves and brag about our stats (which were mediocre because we were the B team). Later that year, I was faced with that same question in a semifinals game, would I try to go for the jump shot or pass it to my teammate to make the layup? I definitely wanted to make the game winning score, but my coach must have taught me well because I ended up passing the ball to my teammate. Of course, we ended up losing. While I would’ve preferred that we win, my coach also instilled in me the importance of choosing to do the right thing even when it’s hard.
Oddly enough, this story was what came to mind as I was thinking about the pandemic and having mass online because we now had all the time in the world. I noticed that for some people, they did not like the online format and missed the physical presence of the Eucharist just as we would miss a loved one and that was great! However, for others, they either felt no change or may have even come to prefer the online mass. I certainly felt that way and was ashamed of it. However, Fr. Mike Schmitz explains in his homily on the Feast of Corpus Christi (starts on 6:17 to 34:42) that God always meets us where we are at and that there may be two reasons why we feel lost.
The first is that I may have spoiled my spiritual appetite by investing my time in other activities or distractions rather than focusing on God through prayer and acts of mercy. Just as it wouldn’t make sense for me to practice the piano in preparation for a basketball game, it doesn’t make sense for us to neglect prayer in preparation to receive the Eucharist which is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. The second reason could be that this is an invitation from God to truly spend time with Him and grow. Let’s say I go to mass only because I like the priest’s homily or because the worship makes me feel a certain way, then my relationship with God becomes dependent on my feelings and what I want. As Fr. Mike mentioned in his homily, the gifts that he and siblings would give their mother were graciously accepted because she is a good mother, but it wasn’t what she asked for. All she wanted them to do was clean the house and get along with each other.
In the same way, Jesus asks that we simply be present with Him at the mass. We come to worship God at mass, not out of fear or guilt, but because we truly love Him and want to be with Him. In fact, the Eucharist is so important that Jesus (in John 6:51-69) risks His entire ministry by telling the crowd and affirming again multiple times that they must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood to have eternal life. Sadly, many of Jesus’ disciples left and returned to their former way of life because they could not accept this teaching. However, Simon Peter answers Jesus by saying “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Which, at first it, may seem like just blind loyalty from Peter. Yet, it could also be that after spending time with Jesus, Peter has chosen to trust in the Lord even if he did not understand.
Peter and the apostles didn’t know one hundred percent if Jesus was really the Messiah, just as I didn’t know one hundred percent why I was doing basketball drills and studying formations. Luckily for us, we have the evidence today. Not only do we have the Bible and Church tradition, but God reveals Himself from big miracles like the one in Lanciano, Italy where the bread and wine were turned into flesh and blood to everyday miracles like giving us air to breathe. While we should still take precautions, don’t forget that online mass is no substitute for the real mass just like zoom is no substitute for visiting our loved ones. When we receive the Eucharist at mass we are not just consuming bread and wine, but we receive the actual heart and lifeblood of Christ. God is always willing to meet us where we’re at, even when we have fallen. So how will you respond? What will you choose?
Joshua 24:15: “If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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