Private Religion

The Catholic Church prides itself on going to mass each Sunday, the gathering of the community, around the Eucharist, as opposed to sitting at home and reading your bible.  But with the Covid 19 shutting down the churches, what I find is that many a Catholic say they miss Holy Communion.  What about that community gathering that is theologically important?  Not so much.  The reality is that many a church has more masses than it needs given the attendance outside the bible belt and Florida.  Multiple masses are for the convenience of Catholics.  If the time is inconvenient, they go elsewhere.  Some say they do miss their community which they see at coffee and donuts afterwards, but outside of that there is no special energy to see one another other than at church.  Holy Communion is supposed to be a communal celebration of God in our midst, loving us and asking us to see God in one another since we share a common food.  But American Catholicism is more individual focused than communal.  People want Jesus in the host much more than they want one another.  It has become a little like going to a museum.  You go for the art and don't care much who else is there.  The fewer the better is more convenient for getting a museum convenient parking space.  I hear people say that they love their parish.  Change the mass schedule.  Drop a mass that is lightly attended.  See who disappears.  Or stays and complains.