Pictured here is one of our younger parishioners, enjoying a donut after praying with a live stream of our Sunday Mass this morning. In case you missed it, you can watch the repray here or listen to just the homily here. I’ve joked that donuts are the eighth sacrament in the Catholic Church. For some of our children, it may be the part of the Mass experience that they most anticipate.

I wasn’t sure how important it was for us to livestream the Mass from the parish. I know many other churches and chapels and Catholic media organizations show the Mass via digital media, and I didn’t think our doing it would add much. But the overwhelming positive response I received helped me to to understand how much it means for people to connect in some way not just with any Mass anywhere, but with a Mass celebrated in their parish church, by their parish clergy and other liturgical ministers, being watched by other fellow parishioners.

In the various interactions I’ve been having with people, I can see how some are benefiting greatly from these trying times. They are people of prayer who are able to tap into the undercurrent of what is happening, that deep flow of God’s presence and purpose working in the midst of what seems to be only negative developments.