SIX YEARS AGO, SOMEONE INVITED ME TO BECOME A EUCHARISTIC MINISTER, SPECIFICALLY, A MINISTER TO THE HOMEBOUND PARISHIONERS OF ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON. AT THE TIME, I HAD NO NOTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN ANY KIND OF PARISH MINISTRY OR EVEN THE PARISH COMMUNITY; I WAS BUSY CONGRATULATING MYSELF FOR SHOWING UP AT CHURCH AT THE NECESSARY TIMES, AND QUITE SATISFIED WITH MYSELF ON THAT BASIS ALONE. TO MY THINKING AT THE TIME, EUCHARISTIC MINISTRY WAS FOR “OTHER” PEOPLE, PEOPLE ENDOWED WITH A HOLINESS I DISTINCTLY LACK. I DID NOT, COULD NOT, AND HONESTLY, HAD NO DESIRE TO BREATHE THE RARIFIED AIR OF THOSE CALLED TO SERVE.
YET IT OCCURRED TO ME, IN THE QUIET PLACES IN MY MIND, THAT, JUST MAYBE, THERE WAS A REASON I WAS ASKED TO JOIN THE PROGRAM. A KERNEL OF SOMETHING STUCK IN MY THOUGHTS, BUT IT GREW INTO SOMETHING BIGGER. SOMEHOW, SOMEONE HAD THOUGHT I COULD DO THE JOB OF HOMEBOUND MINISTER. I FIGURED IT MIGHT BE WORTH INVESTIGATING.
I JOINED THE MINISTRY, STILL EXPECTING THERE WOULD BE A VOICE ALONG THE WAY TO TELL ME, “THANKS ANYWAY, THIS ISN’T REALLY FOR YOU.” SURELY, SOMEONE WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT I AM NOT SPECIAL OR HOLY ENOUGH TO BRING THE BREAD OF LIFE TO THOSE WHO CAN NO LONGER GET THEMSELVES TO THE SACRAMENT. BUT HERE, YOU SEE, I WAS SO WRONG.
I CAME TO REALIZE RIGHT AWAY THAT WE DON’T BRING HOLINESS TO OUR SERVICE IN MINISTRY OR COMMUNITY, GOD HIMSELF SUPPLIES IT TO US AS WE NEED IT. THE MOST UPLIFTING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE IN FAITH HAVE BEEN SEEING THE JOY, THE RELIEF, AND THE GRATITUDE OF THOSE TO WHOM MY FELLOW MINISTERS AND I BRING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. THE HUMILITY OUR HOMEBOUND PARISHIONERS SHOW US IS A PROFOUND REMINDER THAT GOD WORKS IN ALL OF US, EVEN THOSE OF US WHO ARE ELDERLY OR ILL, AND EVEN THOSE OF US WHO ASSUME THEY ARE UNWORTHY TO LABOR IN HIS SERVICE.
YOU TOO ARE WORTHY. HOW WILL YOU BE CALLED?
HOMEBOUND MINISTRTY NOW INVITES YOU TO BECOME ONE OF US, TO TAKE THE TREMENDOUS PRESENCE OF OUR LORD TO THOSE WHO DESPERATELY SEEK HIM. WILL YOU NOW HEED THE INVITATION? GOD’S GRACE IS ALIVE IN YOU! LET HIS WORK BE DONE BY YOUR HANDS, AND YOU WIL SEE HOW ORDINARY PEOPLE DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS WHEN THEY SIMPLY SEEK TO HELP WHERE NEEDED AND LET GOD SUPPLY THE HOLINESS.