The
first day I did this was a fiasco, my camera took video sideways, even though I
was holding it horizontal, and the sound wasn't really good. I looked down all of the comments that were
being made and was embarrassed at how many people were complaining about the
picture. I know you have to watch it so
you get a crook in your neck, but I am trying hard…and why aren't you just
watching the sideways Mass instead of commenting?!
Throughout the last several weeks, I've been live streaming
our Sunday and daily Mass as well as all of the Holy Week services before
Easter on our parish Facebook page.
I admit I was appalled at all of the comments that were
being posted during the Mass.
The next day I had my act together better and the video was
straight like it was supposed to be. I didn't expect any comments today. But I
was taken back when comments began flying across the screen again, but this
time with Likes, and Hearts floating up the screen. I was glad my video was turning out better,
but I was still really surprised people were commenting during the Mass. I admit I am starting to sound like the Mass
police here but I couldn't help but think, 'Hey you, stop typing and pay
attention to the homily!"
But after several weeks as this kind of thing just kept
going and more and more people were finding us on Facebook to 'tune in to'
Mass, I finally noticed that the comments were almost all alike. As soon as I went 'live' just before the
bells rang for Mass, people were jumping on and wishing each other Good
Morning, and happy day, and thanking us
for live streaming Mass. It suddenly
struck me as a beautiful thing they were doing.
Members of our parish were congregating at Mass, just like they do on
Sunday or during the week, checking in on each other, making sure older members
were there for Mass, asking for prayers for each other or a loved one who was
sick. Most of the time it was just a
whole line of, "good morning!' scrolling down the screen.
It caught the attention of our pastor who would always watch
the Mass after it was posted on our Facebook page. He realized the need for people to comment as
our sense of parish community right away, something that took me a few weeks to
figure out. What a beautiful thing. Yes,
they were typing at their computers while watching Mass, but if you think about
it, don't you nod your head with something in the homily when you are in
church? Or wave or nod at a neighbor at
Mass or smile and tear up? People were
instinctively doing this but since we couldn't see them, they used their
keyboards instead!
Now I relish sitting down after I've posted the Mass online
and read the comments, me myself checking on everyone who was there and making
sure older members are okay too. It is
something learned during this time of quarantine and social distancing that we
desperately NEED each other to reach out to and hug. And are we not blessed we can do it with a
stroke of a keyboard?
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