Easter During Coronavirus

Today is Easter Sunday. When I was a kid, we would go to Mass on the beach at 5:00 in the morning and dawn would break over the horizon just as the Gospel was being read.

When Christ came to Earth, He was a light shining in the darkness that the darkness had not overcome (John 1:5). When Christ rose from the dead, He became the light that shone through the whole world.

The world feels darker right now, but the light is slowly returning. People are beginning to have hope again that things will return to “normal.” But when they do, I don’t want to forget the lessons I’ve learned.

Ironically, even though we can’t attend Mass, people are flocking to the Eucharist and it’s beautiful. Priests all over are live-streaming Mass and some are even doing drive-in Adoration. It’s created a real desire for the Eucharist in those of us who take Him for granted.

And when you go to the Eucharist with an open heart…you find Christ.

One of the Easter readings from Luke is the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are sad that the one they thought was the Messiah has died. Christ appears to them, but they don’t recognize Him. He teaches them everything that the Law of Moses and the Prophets foretold about Him. Then, He breaks the bread.

The disciples recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. Christ comes to them veiled, but they see Him once they receive.

This reading points out two things I want to remember as we go forward from this virus.

1. Christ is in this. Even if we can’t recognize Him, Christ is in this.
2. Remember this hunger you have for the Eucharist when all of this is over.

Maybe by the end of this month churches will open again. We have no way to know. But what we do now is that Christ is waiting for us there. I hope we’ll be ready to receive Him.