Fr. Mark-Mary and Mother Clare discuss what they learned from about three months without Mass due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Shortly before Mass was canceled, Mother Clare shared how, when she told her fellow religious sisters that this may be their last Mass for a while, they were shocked but appreciated the blessing of that last Mass all the more.
There is no replacing the Mass. Even with a tabernacle in their convent, Mother Clare’s Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal felt an absence. However, this absence instilled in them a desire to do more. They increased their visits to the Blessed Sacrament to pray for the world.
No matter what the crisis, God can bring good from it if we open our arms to his grace. Perhaps this can be an opportunity to step up our devotion to the Eucharist, especially this week of Corpus Christi when this video is coming out. If you open your heart, maybe God can reveal himself to you in a new way the next time you receive him.
Fr. Mark-Mary also shares a story about how cloistered nuns receive the Eucharist. Their devotion and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament increased his appreciation for the True Presence.
Meet Fr. Mark-Mary
Father Mark-Mary was ordained as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal (CFR) in 2018 and lives at a friary in the Bronx.
The mission of the CFRs is to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus through fidelity to the Church and her Sacraments. Paired with their commitment to prayer, contemplation, and study of Sacred Scripture, the CFRs serve those around them, especially the poor, in the footsteps of Christ.
Discover beautiful music from the CFRs here.
