This week the techie people have been installing cameras and stuff for live-streaming in Christ the King. This is partly as a result of the importance given to communications in our Synod discussions. Over the next months we will notice changes also in the newsletter and on the website.

For Fr Andy and me it was a very strange experience back in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to celebrate Mass on our own at St Brigid’s. Next it became possible through very helpful parishioners to stream Mass via a personal computer, and then we eventually bought a system for permanent live-streaming. At its busiest we were getting 500 to 600 viewings every Sunday. There were 200 for each Stations of the Cross that year.

Now, although Mass has resumed we still get a good number watching. This would be partly people who are housebound and partly people who do not yet feel comfortable in returning to Mass.

So, a message to each of these groups. First – to the housebound, please remember you are very much part of our communities. Whatever it is that prevents you being with us, you are indeed with us in spirit, and important to us. May we all improve our determination to keep in touch with this. Second to those who have not yet returned – we are missing you! Please be assured that we continue to follow guidelines for the celebration of Mass, that there are areas where those who wish to maintain some distancing can sit – and you can be sure of a warm welcome.

So we continue our Advent journey. The thought occurs to me that throughout the Old Testament God was kind of live-streaming his thought and words, not through cameras and computers but through prophets and kings etc. But eventually, it was clear that best of all was for God to appear “live” as it were, and so that is exactly what happened. It had been good for the people to read about God and study their books in the Bible, but now they could meet Him face to face – in a Baby at Bethlehem! They could eat and drink with Him, listen and talk with him, touch him and be touched by him. And so can we – in the Mass, the Eucharist. It is, after all, the most live of all live-streaming.

Fr Matthew