Father Glenn J. Comandini

Nicodemus appears only in the Gospel of John. In fact, the evangelist dedicates the first half of chapter 3 to this man. [John 3:1-21]

Over the past months, Catholics of our diocese have been tuning in to the virtual liturgy of their choice every Sunday.  While the benefits of the virtual Mass cannot be denied, it does have its limitations.  First and foremost is the fact that watching Mass and being there are two different things. The participation of those watching the liturgy on YouTube, Facebook or TV is done in isolation, not in community.  From apostolic times, what distinguished Christians from their neighbors of other religions was the emphasis on community. Religion was never perceived as an individual affair, albeit does contain an individual component which we call “personal prayer.” From the earliest records, we have learned that Christians gathered in groups for worship, whence arose the concept of “Assembly of the faithful” or “Ecclesia” in Greek. From this term, the German  “Kirche” translates into the English word “Church.”