The following was written following the celebration of the Eucharist as part of the 2020 Young Religious Retreat:
The body of Christ gathered at our screens looking on as the priest,
our brother took the host in his hands and holding it to the screen,
reminding us Christ, our brother is here: “this is my body broken for you”
In the same way with the chalice, the reflection of our faces from our screens
caught in the silver of the chalice the community gathered,
the priest, our brother holds the chalice out to us,
close again to the screen, reminding us of our mission:
“do this in remembrance of me.”
As amazing as technology is we could not fully partake in this Eucharistic Feast
yet we were together and united and awakened to our call,
a sign of the Eucharist indeed. Although we were not gathered around an altar
we were gathered at the altars of our lives during this time of pandemic,
while on retreat together being transformed as the Body of Christ.
July 2020
Written by: Br. Michael Perras, OFM