Day 49: MASS

This morning I slept in a bit and I “missed” mass at our church online. Thankfully, a friend from my sons’ high school posted a link from the “live” mass at St. Joseph’s Monastery in Baltimore; so I put on my headphones, logged on, and “attended” mass.

One thing I have always loved is how universal the Catholic Church is: mass is relatively the same everywhere, same readings, same format, throughout the world. While the songs sang and the language spoken might differ, I can generally follow long no matter where I am in the world. And it feels like home; the “sameness” is comfortable.

Right now, I have no plans to travel the world, the country, or even to leave my house. And while I “attended” mass in a church I had only been in once before, it still felt like home (maybe, because I was actually at my house…) And I decided: how fun would it be to virtually travel and attend mass in different states? Maybe even a different country? It will still be my same mass, but will allow me to explore and experience the different nuances of mass in a different culture. What I wouldn’t give to be back at the convent in Moshi, Tanzania, celebrating mass with the nuns!

During this time of quarantine, the internet is such a blessing. (And boy did we realize this last week, when our wifi and cellular service was out for about 10 hours! No computer, TVs, or phones!) One more thing to add to our prayers of gratitude as we pass the days of isolation. I now have six days to figure out where to “go” for mass next Sunday!