Drive Thru Communion

The Lesson: Do not react until you bring it to God!

When “Drive Thru Communion” was instituted at the Parish, I was astonished, dismayed, and utterly appalled. That was then. This is now!

THEN: All I could think of was “how irreverent, disrespectful, and dangerous for Jesus”. I could not imagine how this could work. How could the priest know that the person to whom they were distributing had even read the readings, watched the streaming Mass, or prepared themselves in any way? How could they reverently distribute if multiple people are in the car? How easily could they drop Jesus?

BUT: I remembered how I missed the Eucharist when Churches were closed. I remembered how I knew a “Spiritual Communion” was not even close to the same.  I remembered Jesus’s words:  Unless you EAT My Flesh and drink My Blood, you will not have life within you!”. I knew the Pastor and Associates who would be distributing are deeply devoted in reverence to Jesus in the Eucharist.  So, although I could not imagine how it would work, I stopped fretting too much over “endangering” Jesus.  I prayed my normal prayer when I see or hear something that I do not know is wrong, but fear it may be:  “Jesus, if it doesn’t bother You, do not let it bother me.  If it bothers You and I can do something about it, please let me do so.  If it bothers You and there is nothing I can do about it, let me offer You worthy prayers and deeds of reparation”.  With that, I put it in His hands.

AFTER:  I had a few occasions to speak with some of those who were partaking through the Drive Thru.  Most were elderly folks, people at high risk, or those taking care of high risk family.  I knew them to be very devout and sincere Catholics.  1 of them was totally at the mercy of her family. They had forbidden her to attend Mass by refusing to drive her.  They would, however, bring her to the Drive Thru Communion.  She watched 2 or 3 streamed Masses and said her normal preparatory prayers before leaving the house.  She was a perfect example of why this was so needed.  There would be no other way for these folks to truly partake in His Flesh and Blood without it!  They did not cause or contribute to this virus, so why should they be punished?  Furthermore, I knew there were not a lot of people participating, thus reducing the abuse from laziness or “convenience” (I have Adoration at that the time and noticed the Priests were only out there for 15 mins or less.). Based on this, I believe this is a necessary service.

NOW:  It is being taken away and my heart is breaking for my friends and others.  The current Pastor, who is also the VG, advised that both the Bishop and Pope have said “no” to drive thru (I must have missed that from both).  I do not know their reasoning for this.  I suspect one of them is because of “safety” and Social Distancing, as that seems to be the on-going theme.  But I wonder and pray if they have considered the “safety” of the soul and spiritual life for those who have no other recourse.  It has been stressed and stressed and stressed and stressed again that all clergy should encourage people to stay home (which makes me so very sad).  The physical life has been placed far above spiritual life throughout this whole fiasco.

If they have said “no” with the same considerations that I immediately had at first, I pray God will place in their hearts not only the above thoughts, but also, consider this:  Every Mass there are people who approach His table who are in a state of mortal sin, who have been totally distracted throughout Mass, who casually, disrespectfully, and irreverently receive Jesus in the Eucharist, yet they are not denied.  There are politicians and even Church leaders who openly defy Catholic teachings, yet they are not denied.

Yet, by cancelling Drive Thru Communion, they are denying devout, devoted, obedient Children of the Father, His only Begotten Son!

Could there be abuse, irreverence, sacrilege committed by both the clergy and laity in a Drive Thru scenario – yes, absolutely. Is it any more than what can/does occur during Holy Mass -possibly. But that is where spot monitoring or Pastor responsibility comes in. That is where our Church leaders need to go to the Holy Spirit and ask – Is it worth the risk? What would He prefer as our priority in the decision? What does He say is the right answer? Should we be denying those who are “dying of thirst” over something to which they have no control?

All I can tell you is that when I asked Him, He placed Jesus’s words on my heart: “Let the little children come unto Me, and do not deny them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”