By Rev. John Fahey-Guerra, C.Ss.R.

God, I wish I could go to Mass. I feel that I need Mass more than anything right now. May it not be long O Lord. Deliver us and bring us back to You and to each other. God of love and mercy, here is what I am going to do. I will do these things united with all the members of the Body of Christ, separated in space but not from your loving embrace.

I am going to remember all the Masses in which I have participated with the Christian community. I am going to remember the people and the communities that I have been at Mass with through the years. I will recall the faces and places among whom and where I have been at Mass. And I will remember in prayer those people and communities of faith. Fire my imagination and memory, O Lord!

I will let the Word that you have spoken to your people in all those Masses well up in me now like a spring: the word from the prophet Isaiah: Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine,” from the psalms, “the Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall want, from Paul, “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ,” the words of Jesus, “know that I am with you always.” May your Word by be a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, O Lord.

I will remember professing my faith in you O God living and true. I will remember the voices of my sisters and brothers, the cloud of witnesses that surrounded me at those Masses declaring the ancient faith; I believe in One God, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Holy Spirit and in your Holy Church. Increase my faith in you, O Lord!

I will remember Jesus’ parting gift to us as he gave himself for the life of the world; “Do this in remembrance of me, he said.” I will follow the command of Jesus by being Eucharist for others. I will reach out to others by phone, text, and social media. As Jesus reaches out to us in the Eucharistic celebration, I will do my part to build an ever-widening circle of friendship and care. Give me the grace to be for others, O Lord!

I will recall in my heart all the times I came forward to receive the body and blood of Jesus. I will keep moving forward and not lose heart. Fill me with hope in your never-failing love O Lord!

I will remember all the times that I was sent forth from Mass to be the sign of Jesus’ presence in the world. Now, O Lord, I know in my heart that all the Masses that in which I have participated with the Christian faithful have prepared me for this moment. Now I live the fullness of the mystery in the world, one with you and one with my sisters and brothers who are Christ’s body. Thank you, Lord, for your living presence and for preparing me to live this moment with faith, hope and love. Amen.