Over the last few weeks, various events have kept me from attending Sunday Mass. As a convert who doesn't want to be a total hypocrite, I take the requirement to attend Mass weekly seriously, so I'm unwilling to miss it without good reason.
I also try to attend some of the weekday services – not as a makeup, but rather so that I can have access to the Eucharist.
That was something I profoundly missed during the 2020 lockdown, and since then I've appreciated it far more than I did before.
It's one reason why I find myself more alienated than ever from Protestant services. Without the actual presence of Christ, what's the point of the singing and speeches? To me, it seems like nothing more than a pep rally, which I suppose is why so many mega churches' architecture suggests an rock concert arena rather than a sacred space.
Our parish (and presumably the rest of the diocese) has a long last returned holy water to the fonts around the sanctuary. There are still plenty of masks, some of the pews remain blocked off for 'social distancing' but things continue to return to normal. Still, it's been 18 months since any but the clergy have received the Precious Blood of Our Lord.
Maybe that's part of God's plan to make us value the Eucharist in a way we never did before. It's certainly worked with me.
Chateau Lloyd 
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