“I am the bread of life. 

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven

so that one may eat it and not die. 

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

From the beginning of the pandemic, when we first had mass without a congregation, until now, Archbishop Kurtz has dispensed us from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass. Normally, it is an obligation for each Catholic who is able to do so, to make it to mass each week. On August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archbishop Kurtz will restore this obligation. In addition to reasonable and regular exceptions, there are still exceptions for Covid-19 if you are ill, have any Covid-19 symptoms, have been directly exposed to someone who has Covid-19, are immunocompromised, or have significant anxiety about exposure. You can and should stay home and participate if possible in an online or broadcast of the mass or, at least, offer prayers to God on Sunday. While watching mass online can be of great spiritual benefit, in and of itself, it does not fulfill the obligation. Since “obligation” has a negative connotation in our society and we can bristle at being told what to do, I thought I’d reflect for a moment on this word. 

Obligation really made sense to me when my stepfather Phil went in the hospital and during the time right after his death to his funeral. Mom called me from the emergency room and, as soon as I was able and cleared a few things from my calendar, I went to the hospital to be with her and Phil. I went home briefly, but came back to the hospital for a procedure later that night. At about 2:00 a.m., I went home and got a couple of hours of sleep before coming back to the hospital and giving mom time to go shower and eat. I prayed for Phil, spent time with his brother, and was with him at the moment of his last breath. I was with mom and consoled Phil’s niece who arrived not knowing he had just died. I stayed with mom as we left the hospital and spoke to the funeral home about arrangements. Mom and I met with the funeral home, planned the funeral, and hosted some of Phil’s family, including my stepsisters, who came into town. We had the visitation, where we greeted all of those who came to pay their respects, the funeral, the burial, and the meal for family and friends following. We had lots of help, prayers and support, for which we were grateful. Because I loved Phil and love my mom, I was obliged to do these things. In my heart, I couldn’t not do them. The weren’t all enjoyable, entertaining, or exciting, but I bore the obligation of love to do them. It was right and good and true. Done in love, the obligation wasn’t an imposition, but an expression of who I am, the love I share, and the meaning of family and love, itself. 

Our obligation to go to Mass each Sunday isn’t meant as an external imposition foisted upon us to cramp our freedom. It is meant as an expression of who we truly are, the love we share, and the meaning of the family of God, itself. Our love for God, who first loved us, obliges us to offer thanks and receive the bread of life. It expresses who we are and makes us who we are. In our hearts, we cannot not do it. It may not always be enjoyable, entertaining, or exciting, but the Eucharist is always right and good and true. I hope the restoration of the obligation becomes a moment for each of us to reflect on what God has done for us in Christ and how we respond to his grace. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, our salvation and our destiny. I, for one, am much obliged.