Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18:20

We are living in a digital age. Every corporation; school; hospital; business, and even church has a computer. We communicate by e-mail, text messages and websites. Recently, I received a message from a reader of my blog who said: “I don’t have to go to church anymore, all I have to do is stay at home and read your blog on my computer.”

I was happy that my reader derived inspiration and comfort from the messages on my website, but I was saddened that she no longer felt the need to attend church. It is true that much of our spiritual journey is private. Meditating on the word of God in the privacy of your room is a private affair and is commended by the Lord Himself: “whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).

But there is more to worship than praying to your Father in the privacy of your room. Worship is also public and communal. Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist on the Jewish feast of Passover, and told his disciples: “do this in memory of Me.” (Luke 22:19). We need more than digital contact to be united with Jesus. We need to see Jesus in the least of our brethren by coming to their aid in times of need; we need the strength and encouragement of a community of faith to help us on our spiritual journey; and we need the bonding of a true worshiping community in church. That is why Jesus says: “whenever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst.”

A young Filipino woman working in Saudi Arabia sent me a message expressing her thanks for the scriptural meditations on my website. She could not attend church in Saudi Arabia, and she told me how grateful she was for these meditations which she was able to share with her companions. She appreciated them, not as a substitute for church, but as an additional means of growing spiritually. She never lost sight of the importance of worship in church, which she couldn’t avail herself of in Saudi Arabia, while she benefited from this internet technology that could bring her these daily scriptural meditations.

The book of Ecclesiastes 3:1 state: “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Digital technology’s time has certainly come in this new millennium, but it can never replace the need for human contact. It can never be a substitute for worship whenever two or more gather together in Jesus’ name in church.

Fr. Hugh Duffy.

* * * Do not miss tomorrow’s blog on Kindness * * *