Fr Stefano Mosca: Without the Eucharist, we only survive (II)
It is reasonable to put on hold the Eucharist because of the coronavirus, but it is equally important not to consider it normal, as if one could do without the sacrament. Forgetting the Eucharist leads to corruption and violence. The opposite rebuilds personal and social life as the fate of two villages shows. Here is the second part of the testimony of the missionary in the Philippines.
Lakewood (AsiaNews) – In order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, governments in many countries, from the Philippines to Italy, have banned public Masses. Fr Stefano Mosca, a PIME missionary in the Philippines for 17 years, understands the reasons for this decision, but believes that without the Sunday Eucharist, Christian social life risks falling apart.
As parish priest in Lakewood (Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao), “Believers without the Eucharist have entered a ‘survival’ mode for a while, and this absolutely cannot become normal.” The experience of two villages where taking the Eucharist has reshaped life is a case in point. This is the second part of his testimony. For the first part, click here.
Although I am worried about my people, unlike my brother parish priest in Kumalarang, who hands out the Eucharist on the street, I talked it over with the local mayor and police in order to celebrate three Masses every Sunday in the parish church in Lakewood for all Christians in the centre and the villages.
The parish church is wide, well-ventilated, and open walled with iron gates. With people respecting the distances of two metres and wearing a mask, it can accommodate up to 120 worshippers for Mass.
After we got written authorisation, we celebrated the first three Masses last Sunday, 3 May, but very few participated. Not even the people in the centre, very close to the church, came to the service. This made me realise one thing: I am committed to talk and beg left and right for permits, but my people, who have not received the Eucharist for two months, have not yet understood that Christian life is not really the same as one that is well nurtured. The coronavirus has become a good excuse for many Christians to avoid coming regularly to Mass and communion.
Truth be told, many did not even come before, but now they have found the right excuse. These Catholics lead a dubious Christian life. Many allow themselves to be easily corrupted by politicians to obtain privileges and favours. They become ruthless in business, moneylenders, racists against tribals. Some are shopkeepers who cheat by selling everything twice as much in this period of crisis, pushing many poor people to the brink of hunger because they can’t buy their products at inflated prices. They don’t receive the Eucharist and these are the fruits of their Christian life.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life”. Yet many of my Christians are witnesses of events of change, of renewal that have occurred in their villages thanks to the Eucharist, but these are easily forgotten.
In two villages, Pinoles and Baking, people did not come to church. In Pinoles the chapel was closed for three years. In the church in Baking you only saw a few old women, no men and no whole families; sometimes only teenagers and not always.
At one point, the two villages elected a captain, a village chief who turned out to be a criminal. He killed his political opponents mercilessly and with impunity. He did not talk to people, but lorded it over them using the rifle. In the village, with everyone drunk; stabbings and fights with deaths occurred a regular basis. People were terrified, afraid of leaving their homes. Breaking-ins were commonplace with thieves holding families hostage until they got what they wanted. Police were careful not to intervene.
Some Christians came to complain to the priest and I told them: “All this is normal in a village where Christians have not eaten the Eucharist for years, where the chapel is closed, where farming, business, is now your God. Go back to church with your husbands, eat the Eucharist regularly, and this hell will soon end.”
I conducted more Masses in the chapels. Once a week, those who want can take part in the evening Mass in their chapel in addition to the monthly Sunday Mass. Many people, even many men, came back to eat the Eucharist on a regular basis.
The criminal captains fell out of favour; the new politicians are all Catholics, Church-going people, always at Mass on Sunday, attentive to the needs of the people. They often contact me to talk things over as to what to do for the village. There are no more drunken killings and thieving. The two villages are now at peace and there is a good atmosphere of brotherhood also with the tribals and other religious groups. What miracles the Eucharist can perform in the heart of men and in society!
This is why I repeat that whilst it is reasonable to suspend the communion for the faithful in this long period of quarantine, I strongly believe that eating or not eating the Eucharist every Sunday are not the same thing. Believers without the Eucharist have entered a "survival" mode for a while, and this absolutely cannot become normal.
Normality must mean eating the Eucharist in order to be strong in a life of faith, charity and hope which otherwise weakens under the devil’s blows. For me, this is the real crisis of today: a Christian life that is on hold under given circumstances, but hoping that it will not be entirely extinguished.
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21/01/2019 14:53
