Thank you Father

       Many years ago, I had the opportunity to be a Eucharistic minister to patients in the hospital in which I worked. It was totally different from my job and a purely voluntary task. I am not quite sure if task is the right word, It was more of a pleasure and something that I looked forward to. If we could only approach everything in life with the same outlook I had for that graced responsibility.

        I would have a list of "Catholic" patients that I would call on. Needless to say this is a very diverse group from ultra-conservative Catholics to non-practicing Catholics. I was always received well.  Some people would refuse communion because they had not gone to confession.  I would respond that I could arrange for a visit from a Priest if that is what they wanted but I also explained that it was our belief as hospital ministers that God would want everyone to receive the saving graces of the Eucharist as long as they professed even a desire and showed some kind of verbal repentance. I might simply ask, "are you sorry for your sins?". If the answer was yes, we were set.  I still recall a person who was so taken back by my offer to receive communion, they viewed it as almost a last rights kind of thing; they were so touched at the offer they began to cry in thanksgiving. 

       What I recall most of all from this ministry, this task, is the humbleness with which I performed my duties. People would always say "Thank you Father" when I was finished and would have to explain that it was my own blessing and honour to be able to bring them communion. I'd also have to say, but I am not a Priest to which they invariably said, "Ok, Father". Doh!  

       Can we approach everything in life as if we are graced with the opportunity? Graced to experience a saint in a new person we have met. Graced to have shared a snippet of time, life and love with another human, a divine and loved creation of God.  Can we be present enough and know that God loves us, that we are offered holy "tasks" all day long. We simply need to open our eyes and see the opportunity before us.  This isn't a holy roller type thing, one where we try to proselytize or quote scripture to people. This is our opportunity to accept love from others and to love others. As Saint Vincent might say " preach the Good News always, use words when necessary".  Our tasks are humble and simple, Franciscan like actions that witness God's love in the world. Our tasks are simply witnessing to God's love in the world, and that means loving actions directed towards ourselves as well. 

        Be humbled at our opportunities to love and be loved.

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of many.