I started going through Dr. Lawrence Feingold’s 18 part presentation on The Sacramental Economy. In the QA at the end someone asked a question about the efficacy of Mass through the screen. This was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. An adjacent question was about receiving communion without a Mass. His answer reinforced what had been revealed to me regarding the metaphysics of Mass from a different angle. I will paraphrase Dr. Feingold.
When we attend Mass through a livestream (in real time) we are still able to assist as we would in the Cathedral. I was able to assist at Mass before I could actually take communion. Our assistance is our lowly sacrifice of self enjoined with the perfection of Christ’s sacrifice.
Although we can assist, we cannot complete the circuit and actually take the body of Christ into ourselves if we are participating in Mass virtually. I briefly wondered if it’s a problem for one to assist without receiving for such a long time. It’s now possible some people would have gone over a year and a half without receiving communion because of COVID. I concluded that just as I was able to assist without even being Catholic, there was no harm. Many parishioners are forbidden from communion, often because of marriage situation incompatible with the Church.
The spiritual realm sometimes resembles the material realm but is quantifiably different precisely because it is not limited by quantity. Although it’s not harmful to go so long without The Life, if they can take it, it is not ideal. It is the food for the journey to becoming a Saint.
And of communion without Mass, taking an already consecrated host without assisting is the inverse. It is like eating without having helped prepare. Virtual Mass is like preparing but not eating. Dr. Feingold seemed to be of the opinion that it may be preferable to assist and not partake than to eat and not assist. But he did theorize that if one can do both in parts one has nearly simulated a consummated Mass with the two halves.
