Each month we will profile one our Parish Ministries to highlight the service and talent within our Parish.
Our First Ministry Corner was a Reflection by Tom Meister on being an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
Jesus in the front seat, but who’s driving?
It’s one thing to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist in Church or in the Adoration Chapel. After all, that’s where He invites us to see Him and talk with Him.
It’s another thing entirely to be with Jesus in the front seat of my car driving to Colonial Manor. Not only do I have the spiritual uplift of visiting with 20 or more friends, but I also have the “crowning touch” of having one-on-one “face time” with the Lord of heaven and earth.
When I started my weekly trips to Colonial Manor, I saw myself as “bringing” Jesus to the residents. I was doing the visiting and I was picking Jesus up and taking Him along. But that put pressure on me; what was I to say to the person who was scared of dying or disturbed by being amid so much illness and loneliness?
I realized that I was putting the focus on myself and not on Christ. I recognized that Christ wanted to visit these folks long before I ever met them. He had simply borrowed my voice, my hands and feet, my eyes and ears for a while, to carry out His ministry to them.
So, in a sense, I no longer place Christ in the passenger seat; instead, He’s “in the driver’s seat,” where He belongs. I’m happier to be along for the ride with Him. I serve Him in His ministry, and I am glad to take my lead from Him.
Interested in talking with Tom about this ministry? Contact him at 858-1127. Or if interested in becoming an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, contact Deacon Michael DeVivo at 347-7350 or gospamir@comcast.net
Hmmm...Jesus is in the drivers seat, we are his copilots, hope on board and enjoy the ride.
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