Pentecost Sunday, June 9, 2019.
It was an amazing day as the faith community of Resurrection joined together to begin their year long 50th anniversary celebration. A beautiful sunny day that would reach a high of 82 degrees. The church was packed, filled with a gathering of joyful people from so many different places.
Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 2020.
Who could have thought that things would be so very different one year later? On this day, the church will remain empty… still closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A small and “very safe” group will gather outside on this Pentecost Sunday. They will share the gospel, offer prayers of intention, and participate in a broader experience of eucharist. After all, eucharist is the body of Christ. As well, eucharist is thanksgiving. We speak of eucharist as “real presence.” During a time this, is it fitting to acknowledge a longing that might describe Eucharist as “real absence?”
On Pentecost 2019, Father Bill Graney was filled with an amazing grace that was contagious. We call that contagion the holy Spirit. Pentecost 2020 finds too many people hyperfocused on a much different contagion—coronavirus …some are seemingly oblivious to the activity of the holy Spirit.
Here is some of the wisdom that Bill Graney shared with us last year.
At the opening of mass, Bill said: Thank you all for coming here from so many places.
It’s one great embrace I’m giving you because it’s hard to do it individually… I have a cold which I don’t want you to pick up…
In his homily, Bill said, “Resurrection happened as a welcome refuge for those who wanted a new type of church.
Church is “people of God.”
What makes good church? We need to refocus on church as people of God, church as radical hospitality, as pilgrims, and as humble and radical disciples…
We must allow for hope to break through.
If we dream alone it remains a dream
If we dream with others, it can become a reality…and that’s what the original members of Resurrection did.
God did not make Resurrection with a cookie cutter…
We need people to arouse and inspire us along the way.
The most important thing is to engage in the struggle well….you engage in the struggle well if you do it with joy and compassion.
Do not let anyone or anything suck that joy out of you.
Certainly the church is in crisis… We as a parish will do our part in engaging all people of God, not just a chosen few, in bringing about the needed change.
Thus we must welcome everyone to our place…
Clericalism must be eradicated.
Women must be integrated into the whole church.
Let us go forth with a joy that is contagious!
Today, Pentecost 2020, the question becomes one of identity. Who are we… really? How does eucharist define us? Are we the body of Christ because we gather together on Sunday? Are we a catholic faith community because we share consecrated bread and wine? Who are we if we don’t gather on Sunday? If we don’t share bread and wine? Are we the body of Christ as John’s gospel depicts—disciples who follow the example of Jesus by washing the feet of others? Will the world recognize us by our service to those in need?
The day will come when this unprecedented time will be a memory.
When we look back, what will we say about who/how we were during the pandemic?
Were we people of hope?
Did we inspire faith?
Did we show our joy in the Risen Lord?
Did we connect in new, creative ways?
Did we find new, creative ways to pray with others?
What if this is a time of transformation and opportunity? Can we be a faith community in new, creative ways? Is it time for new ways of praying, new experiences of eucharist? In a post pandemic world, how will we be church?
Father Greg Corrigan