WHAT TO DO WHEN MASS IS CANCELLED

TEN SUGGESTIONS FROM CATHOLIC TRADITION

A. LITURGICAL ACTIVITIES 

1. 1. The (other) Sacraments 

2. 2. Praying the Liturgy of Hours 

B. POPULAR PIETY AND DEVOTIONS 

3. 3. Eucharistic Adoration 

4. 4. Praying the rosary 

5. 5. Praying the Stations of the Cross 

6. 6. Other forms of popular piety and devotions 

C. PERSONAL PRAYER (Alone or with others) 

7. 7. Reflecting on the Word of God 

8. 8. Traditional Catholic prayers 

9. 9. Prayer for Spiritual Communion 

10. 10. Following along a televised Mass 

THE EUCHARIST: SOURCE AND SUMMIT 

The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life" (LG 11).  This teaching of the Second Vatican Council reminds us of the central place of the Eucharist in the life of Catholics.  

And yet, although participating in the Eucharistic celebration (the Mass) is the ideal for every Catholic, it is not the only spiritual help available, much less the only form of prayer.  This is because as the Council again taught: "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. . . ." (PO 5; cf. CCC 1324).  These other spiritual helps supplement and complement the Eucharist, and in extreme situations substitute for the Eucharist.  For as the saying goes, "when the lion/tiger lacks meat, he eats grass." 

That is why I am offering ten other forms of prayer that Catholics can turn to during these difficult times when they cannot attend Mass, a Eucharistic Fast of sorts.  Some of these activities are things Catholics should do anyway as part of their regular prayer life; but in these extraordinary times, they can do them in an extraordinary way. 

ALTERNATIVE NOURISHMENT DURING THE EUCHARISTIC FAST 

A. LITURGICAL ACTIVITIES 

Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs; in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members (SC 7c). 

1. The (other) Sacraments  

The Sacraments of the Church are the principal and ordinary means by which God shares his grace with his children.  Fortunately, in many parishes, the celebration of sacraments that don't involve large groups, particularly confession and anointing of the sick, is still going on. 

If you need any of these sacraments, please contact your pastor.  And especially for someone in danger of death, request Viaticum immediately. 

2. Praying the Liturgy of Hours 

The Liturgy of Hours or the Divine Office is routinely celebrated by the clergy and religious, but can also be prayed by the laity.  It is described by the Catechism as a way of continuing to celebrate the "The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly."  In the Liturgy of Hours, that mystery "permeates and transfigures the time of each day."  The Liturgy of Hours is the Church's way of responding to the Lord's exhortation to "pray constantly," and so is prayed throughout the day, principally in the Morning, Evening and at Night.  When the faithful pray this prayer, they exercise their royal priesthood received at baptism (CCC 1174). 

The Liturgy of Hours can be prayed using the resources below. 

(Resources = Books: The Christian Prayer and Four-volume Liturgy of Hours;  Online resources: Universalis and Ibreviary) 

B. POPULAR PIETY AND DEVOTIONS 

The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must also enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret [Cf. Matt. 6:6.]; yet more, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he should pray without ceasing [Cf . 1 Thess. 5:17.29] (SC 12; cf. SC13). 

3. Eucharistic Adoration  

The venerable devotion of adoring the Blessed Sacrament is another form of prayer available in many places.  The Directory on Popular Piety describes its purpose in this way: "This adoration is a most apt way of expressing the connection between the celebration of the memorial of the Lord's Sacrifice and his continued presence in the Sacrament of the Altar" (164; also see 165-167). 

This adoration can take three forms, the first two of which are probably the only ones available at this time. 

(i) a simple visit to the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the tabernacle 

(ii) adoration of the Blessed Sacrament exposed for a period of time in a monstrance or pyx  

(iii) perpetual adoration 

(USCCB Resources on Eucharistic Adoration) 

4. Praying the rosary  

Another venerable and universal devotion is the recitation of the rosary, either in groups or alone.  In fact, for many Catholics, this is a daily form of prayer, one which sustained the Catholics in Japan and many other areas, when the missionary priests were expelled and so they could not have Mass.  The rosary is in fact a Christ-centred prayer as much as it is a Marian prayer.  For in praying the joyful mysteries, the sorrowful  mysteries, the glorious mysteries and the luminous mysteries, we reflect on the mysteries of the life of Jesus, the mysteries of our salvation. 

Perhaps in these tough times, on a Sunday when one cannot go to Mass, one could pray all 20 decades of the rosary, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Mother in a special way for our current needs. 

(Resources on How to say the rosary, Rosary Apps) 

5. Praying the Stations of the Cross 

The Stations of the Cross or the Way of Cross is perhaps most fitting at this time, not only because we are in Lent, but also because we are suffering physically, spiritually and emotionally.  In this prayer, we retrace the footsteps of Jesus on his way to Calvary and perhaps acquire the comfort of knowing that the Lord suffers with us. 

(Resources on praying the Stations of the Cross) 

 6. Other forms of popular piety and devotions 

Unlike the liturgy which is universal in nature, there are also forms of prayer which are often local or regional, but which nevertheless, are a great source of spiritual benefit and lead people to the liturgy.  Pope Paul VI, called these forms of prayer popular piety, "the religion of the people."  He described the rich values of popular piety in this way: 

. . . It manifests a thirst for God which only the simple and poor can know. It makes people capable of generosity and sacrifice even to the point of heroism, when it is a question of manifesting belief. It involves an acute awareness of profound attributes of God: fatherhood, providence, loving and constant presence. It engenders interior attitudes rarely observed to the same degree elsewhere: patience, the sense of the cross in daily life, detachment, openness to others, devotion. . . .  (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 48). 

I cannot give many examples here because by definition popular piety, even if overseen and guided by the bishops, tends to be local in nature.  But a few examples with which I am familiar, include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Sacred Heart Devotion and Devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  One would have to check and see what forms popular piety are approved by their bishop and are practiced in their parish or diocese. 

(Resources on popular piety in general) 

C. PERSONAL PRAYER (Alone or with others) 

The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must also enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret [Cf. Matt. 6:6.]; yet more, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he should pray without ceasing [Cf . 1 Thess. 5:17.29] (SC 12; cf. SC13). 

7. Reflecting on the Word of God 

The Word of God in the Bible is the central source of God's revelation for God's people.  It is the source of evangelization and catechising, as well as liturgical preaching.  Besides these formal ways of reading and teaching the Word of God by the various ministers of the Church, the Second Vatican Council earnestly and in a special way urged "all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the 'excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 3:8). 'For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.'" 

That is why it is laudable that during this time when Catholics cannot hear a liturgical homily, "they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, . . . through devotional reading, or through instructions suitable for the purpose and other aids which, in our time, with approval and active support of the shepherds of the Church, are commendably spread everywhere" (Dei Verbum 25). 

(Resources for Sharing the Word of God at home and the traditional Lectio Divina) 

8. Traditional Catholic prayers 

Quoting St. Therese of Lisieux, the Catechism describes prayer as: ". . .  a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" (CCC 2558).  When we pray, even by ourselves, we are doing exactly this or what St. John Damascene called "raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God" (CCC 2259). 

Of course we can raise our minds and hearts to God in our own words, like we hear many people do in the Scriptures.  That is one way to pray.  Another way is to use those inspired prayers from Scripture or those composed by the saints and others, and approved by the Church throughout the history of the Church.  Every Catholic prayer book is filled with these traditional prayers, with which we can pray to God. 

(Resources for Litanies and other Prayers) 

9. Prayer for Spiritual Communion  

Although this prayer could be included in the prayers mentioned in #8, I set it apart especially since it is one prayer we should say at this time, since it is a prayer often said by those who cannot receive holy communion.  The ideal way of receiving communion with God is through the sacrament; but failing that, in this prayer, we ask him to give us what he would have given us in communion.  We appeal to his immense goodness and generosity to give us that communion in this extraordinary way, as we await the Sacrament. 

This Act of Spiritual Communion often accompanies some of the aforementioned forms of prayer. 

(Resources on Spiritual Communion, article and prayer). 

10. Praying along with a televised Mass 

Why have I put the televised Mass as the last option?  It is because unlike the first nine, it usually does not involve a personal engagement, and yet as we heard seen, prayer is a personal encounter with God.  I still include it, anyway, for two reasons.  First, there are people, such as those who are really sick, for whom this is the only option.  Secondly, for others, the televised Mass can be a spiritual help, if while watching it, they try to be as personally engaged as they would at the usual celebration of the Mass.  Here are some pointers from the Diocese of Sioux Falls.

And so, given these caveats, this mode of prayer can be a substitute for Mass in our current situation.  You can find a televised Mass from the local listings of your TV provider.  Also, many parishes are now live-streaming their Masses, including my own seminary. 

(Resources on televised Masses). 

SALVAGING SPIRITUAL FRUITS FROM THE EUCHARISTIC FAST 

There is no doubt about the centrality of the Eucharist for our faith.  British theologian Aidan Nicholas put it best when he said: ". . . the Mass is in a class of its own.  It is the sun around which the celebration of other sacraments revolves, and which the stardust of the nonsacramental rites, from Vespers to the Blessing of an Abbess, composes clouds of witnesses" (Aidan Nicholas, Looking at the Liturgy, pp. 122-123). 

And yet we can draw some spiritual benefit from these other forms of prayer, these other clouds of witnesses, not only during this Eucharistic fast, but even after we resume attending Mass. 

• May these forms of prayer become a regular regimen of our daily prayer life or if they already are, become stronger sources of spiritual nourishment, always pointing us to the Eucharist. 
• May these forms of prayer make us more aware of our brothers and sisters, for whom our current Eucharistic fast is their regular spiritual diet; the sick and homebound in our parishes, the millions of people in mission countries without priests and without the necessary resources for regular Sunday Mass. 
• May this Eucharistic drought move us to hunger and appreciate even more, the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Christian Life. 

For borrowing from the slogan of the United Negro College Fund and liberally paraphrasing it, I will close by saying "this Eucharistic Fast is a terrible thing to waste."  May we come out of it stronger in our faith and ready to live it fully with a truly Eucharistic spirituality. 

Fr. Deogratias O. Ekisa, STD

March 19, 2020, Solemnity of St. Joseph