God, on Facebook Live

This past year of pandemic has been incredibly difficult for everyone.  Some of us have lost loved ones or even gotten sick ourselves from the virus.  But one blessing that I have seen is that it has gotten us closer to God and to our loved ones.  And without God, this life would be meaningless.

When the pandemic started it was really sad because many churches had to close their doors, including ours.  It was heart-breaking for me when I had to tell some of our parishioners that our church was going to be closed until further notice.  It brought some of the parishioners and even me to tears since we could not receive the Eucharist together.  For the first time, we were one in the Eucharist spiritually but not physically.  Our church was closed for two months.

When I was asked if I could begin livestreaming the Masses on Facebook, I had no idea how I was going to do it.  The first thing I did was gather whatever I could find from our computer room.  I found our webcam with a tripod and a used laptop.  As I look back, I feel like it was providential.  All the equipment was there once I started looking, as if God had put it there, ready for me to grab.  Now, it has been a year that I have been livestreaming the Sunday Masses.  When I first started, I was able to read the comments that people would write—everything from how they missed receiving Holy Communion to informing us of problems with the audio.  Thanks be to God, most issues have been improved, and we are in the process of getting slightly better technology than what I first found in the computer room.

God also blessed me with some help from Carmen, one of the parish employees, who would inform me about the audio issues and the small improvements needed for all to see and hear the beautiful Mass.  And He also sent me a small angel in Maria, a parishioner who gives me a break by livestreaming one of the Masses.  As I sit behind the pillar in the sanctuary, recording, I have been blessed to be only feet away from the altar as Father consecrates the host.  I often reflect on how the people confined to their homes might never have been able to see Mass from this perspective without the livestreaming ministry.  Even in difficult times, God finds ways to bring us closer to Himself and each other.

Br. Uriel López,  SOLT