“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in God should not perish, but have eternal life!”
— John 3:16
The day is finally approaching! Who would have guessed, some 16 weeks ago, that our fast from the sacrament of Eucharist, the Holy Communion, our taking in of the Body of Christ into our very own selves, would be so long in coming? But we have endured, persevered, clung together, in faithfulness, because that is what we Doubters do. That is the reason we are “Doubters of Great Faith!”
And so, as you read this newsletter, actions are already underway so that on Sunday, July 5, we will, together as a Church family, break this fast that has been imposed by COVID-19! We will once again partake in physical form that which has been relegated to what has come to be known as “the Eucharist of Desire,” this intense longing that we have to be united with Jesus, and with each other.
Your hosts have been lovingly (and safely) consecrated and prepackaged, and on Friday morning will be put in a secure box outside the Parish Office door by 10 am for you to retrieve as many of the individual “servings” as you need for your household. Each zip lock has enough for one person for a month’s supply of Sunday Eucharists. So, if you have two people in your house, take two, and so on. Several folks have offered to take to those who cannot get to the church, so please coordinate with Mother Virginia or me.
I encourage you to create a safe space, a tabernacle of sorts, in your home to store your supply of consecrated wafers, as we consume one per Sunday through the month of July (and the first Sunday of August). Then we will consecrate a new month’s supply and start over!
We have a wonderful liturgy for Sunday’s service in which we will say prayers and consume our hosts together as the Body of Christ, so you will want to have that handy when Church starts!
Please know that I am acutely aware how difficult fasting is, particularly fasting from something as important to our central core identity as communion. It is now time to focus on the joy that comes in the morning as we are able, finally, to break this fast together!
Yours in great joy,
Fr. Christopher+
