The lives of a majority of the people in our Western world are divided between two spheres \u2013 real and virtual. The current pandemic and constant lockdowns make people spend even more time in the \u2018virtual reality\u2019 of mobile phones and computers. Electronic devices became means of communication between people, friends or even members of families. Those who experience this kind of isolation say about deep longing for loved ones, longing for seeing each other, talking face-to-face or even giving a hug. \u201cMan is a social animal by nature,\u201d says Aristotle. Man seeks others, seeks contact with them, seeks their real presence. Electronic devices can make contact with others easier. However, they never replace encounters with real people in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic also caused the virtualisation of our worship. Many people had to replace participation in the Sunday Liturgies by watching live streaming. Is anything lacking in this way of attending Mass? What did I feel watching the Mass on the screen of my device instead of being there in person? These are very challenging questions, even if they don\u2019t look so. The answer may show the attitude to the Eucharist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtualisation is the process of creating a virtual version of something. Usually, the word is used in the context of computers, but its meaning can be extended. For example, art is a kind of \u2018virtual\u2019 world. In his work, an artist tries to copy a part of reality. His painting becomes useful yet still artificial. A piece of art isn\u2019t reality, even if it copies the latter perfectly. In the same way, a \u2018virtual room\u2019 doesn\u2019t replace a real encounter. An online chat with a person doesn\u2019t enable one to experience the interlocutor in his\/her fullness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our religious reality, we have icons and statues. They are artistic fruits of someone\u2019s talent. When we pray in their presence, we treat them as signs representing the transcendent reality. They should help us in prayer, so in meditative approaching God. In a way, there is a similarity between icons and images on the screen, especially in regard to their relation to reality \u2013 the earthly or heavenly one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus says in today\u2019s Gospel, \u201cthis is my body,\u201d \u201cthis is my blood which is to be poured out.\u201d He didn\u2019t want to leave the faithful only with symbols related and directed them to Him, but He offered His real presence. He is present in the Eucharist as realistically as a family member at the table at lunch. Let us be thankful for this precious gift. Let us be grateful that the Eucharist \u2013 the centre of the Christian life \u2013 gathers us in our Churches around our Saviour not virtually but truly and tangibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u0141ukasz Go\u0142\u0105b<\/strong> \u2013Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney, Australia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Solemnity of Corpus Christi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,17,18],"tags":[24,201,38,142,123],"class_list":["post-2065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-strona-glowna-najnowsze","category-strona-glowna-slider","tag-church","tag-eucharist","tag-gospel","tag-kevin_ponte","tag-luke"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n