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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Our Lord Jesus Christ:
With this Kneemail, I want to share and explain to you a number of things.
The Mission and Life of the Church
Regarding the life of the Church, we are the Mystical Body of Christ. That means that we are not an organization, but an organism that lives in and for Jesus the Lord. Our common life is lived for proclaiming His death and resurrection until He comes again. On the day of His Ascension, Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” There you have the marching orders of the Church. There you have our mission.
Carrying out that Mission
There are numerous ways we carry out that mission and how it is sustained. I want to talk specifically about Holy Communion as related to mission and evangelism. Jesus commanded us to celebrate the Holy Eucharist “in memory” of Him. I cannot recapitulate all of the teaching of the Church on the Eucharist, but I will get to the heart of the matter: The Eucharist is not only an anamnesis (making present again) of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it is our supreme act of worship. The Holy Eucharist is the most recognizable form of imparting grace to us for carrying out our mission of evangelism in the world.
Offering Reception of the Holy Eucharist
This Sunday, May 24th and the following Sunday, May 31st (Pentecost Sunday), following the streaming of the Mass from the sanctuary, I will be offering Holy Communion to those who desire to receive it.
Manner of Receiving Holy Communion
After the Mass is over, I will be at the back of the church holding the Sacrament in the form of Bread, only.
Please walk up the steps on the north side of the church. Hand sanitizer will be available as you walk in. After using the hand sanitizer, give it an opportunity to dry, then walk to where I am standing. The following will take place:
- I will say to you, “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the banquet of the Lamb.”
- If you know the response, please feel free to say it, otherwise I will say it for you: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
- I will then make the Sign of the Cross with the Host and give it to you, saying, the Body of Christ.
- If you do not want to receive the Host in your hand, I will place the Host on the white corporal on the table stand between you and me. Simply, motion toward the corporal and I will place the Host on it. You may pick it up from the corporal. The corporal is a white linen cloth.
- Consume the Host in your place.
- When you exit the church, please go out via the porch door with the ramp.
- If you intend to bring your offering or pledge, an alms basin will be at that exit door. You may leave your offering there.
- An usher will be available at the back of the church to assist you.
- I know this will be an emotional event for me and for many of you. As much as I would love to greet you as Richard Daly+, at the moment you receive Holy Communion, I am standing in the place of our true priest, Jesus Christ. Please do not think I am trying to be rude by not being friendly.
- There will be another hand sanitizer station as you leave the church.
- I will be at the back of the church for one hour after the Mass ends.
Health Concerns and Protocols
Let me stress a few items:
- Please come to the church and participate in Holy Communion as you feel comfortable.
- If you are sick, have a fever, or have cold or flu like symptoms, please do not come to the church.
- When coming into the church be mindful of your distance from one another.
- The church will be clean and remember no one has been in it since March 13th.
- At a minimum, please follow the health protocols published by the State of Texas Department of Health.
The communion wafers are taken from a sealed, cellophane packaging and put into the ciborium immediately before the Mass. They will not be touched by human hands until I present the Host at Communion. (After the Mass, I will change my vestments and also re-wash my hands before retrieving the Sacrament. Then, I will go to the back of the church to distribute Communion.)
When Will We Meet for the Eucharist?
My hope is that this will take place on Trinity Sunday, June 7 th, barring any unforeseen circumstances – however 2020 seems to be an unforeseen circumstance! Those details are not yet formulated.
First Holy Communion Class
The celebration of one’s First Holy Communion is a very special and extraordinary day. To the families of our young people who were to receive Communion at the Easter Vigil, I want to make sure that a special day is still celebrated in the church building and with all of the joy that the Holy Eucharist brings. It is important that 1 st Holy Communion be celebrate with the parish family in one festive Mass. As of this Kneemail, I am waiting to hear one more point of consideration from the Bishop.
Parish Office
The parish offices will be open on May 21 st. Our regular business hours will be from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday. Again, if you are sick, or have fever, cold or flu like symptoms, please do not come to the office.
Concluding Remarks
As a Chicago police Field Training Officer, my recruits would always ask me hypothetical questions that begin with, “What if…?” or “What about this…?” Such questions are often impossible to answer with certainty. The life of a priest is very similar. However, if you have questions, feel free to contact me, either via email, rdaly@saintjamestxk.org – or via my phone, 773-307-3304. I will do my best to respond to them.
With what we do, we must always do it for Christ. We must always “press on the Kingdom”, as the saintly Bishop of Fond du Lac, Charles Chapman Grafton, said at the beginning of the 20 th century.
Hear, also, the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians (3:11-16):
“Brethren, one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
I urge you never to forget that the world wants to know God. They want to feel that they are loved and forgiven by God. We desire the exact same thing. My prayer is that as you receive the Sacramental presence of Jesus in the Communion Host, you will feel Him surround you with His love and mercy.
Please know that I keep you in my daily prayers. I ask that the Almighty Lord will be a strong tower for you and a sure defense from all the powers that try to keep you from Him. Remember to continue praying for me.
The Rev'd Richard R. Daly, SSC,
Interim Parish Priest
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