The other night, I joined a little church in Knock, Ireland for mass, and this morning, I joined Bishop Robert Barron for mass in his private chapel in California.  Cathedrals and churches, large and small throughout the world, and even a bishop’s private chapel, are now open to all Catholics. 

Right now, our world is challenged by an enemy we cannot even see. We are confined to our homes and yet, when it comes to worship, the doors of every Catholic church in the world are open wide - virtually speaking. 

I’m reminded of Dr. Seuss’ famous book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  If you are familiar with the story, you know that the Grinch, despite great effort, was unable to steal Christmas.  All he managed to pilfer were the trappings thereof.  The spirit, the love, and the song in the hearts of the people of Whoville remained as joyous as ever.  And so it is with our celebration of mass.

The beauty of Catholicism is that it’s – well catholic.  Wherever we are, whatever language we speak, our faith is the same, our worship is the same, our God is the same.  Thanks to modern technology, Catholics can worship, be nurtured by the Word of God, and even celebrate spiritual communion literally anywhere, anytime.  Our worship community is not limited by the physical proximity or accessibility of a church building; it is boundless.  We are truly ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC. 

Set up a prayer table, light a candle, and virtually step into our universal Catholic Church.  All are welcome!