When Ministry Becomes Real

Last Wednesday I was given my first opportunity to accompany my pastor on his sick calls. I have to admit that I was more than nervous. It was a mixture of excitement and anxiety in that I wondered how I would react to meeting people who were in physical and spiritual need. I knew that this would help me to either strengthen my resolve about my vocation to the priesthood or illuminate my heart in a different direction.

Our mission that day was to visit two people who were in assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. My pastor told me to pay close attention to the two very different facilities where these people were living and the type of spiritual care they were looking for. Since I had never been to one I thought of the worse experiences I had heard from other relatives and cringed.

The first place we visited had a lovely woman in high spirits. Her husband was visiting and we were there to bring her communion as well as check in on her and keep her company for a short while. She was pleasant to be around and I wondered how she was really feeling and what her ailment was. She smiled at me and encouraged me on what I was doing. Later, someone at the church told me that she was happy to have met me and that I could stop by anytime.

The next visit was to a man I had met once or twice before at the church. He was funny, high-spirited, and more than anything, interesting. But from the first moment we parked the car in front of the nursing home I knew that this facility would not be as glamorous as the last. The first place had had a light about it. It had cheerful walking around and the residents were engaged in various activities. This place was sadder, with residents in wheelchairs stationed outside their rooms or in hallways grouped together like a herd.

When we walked into the room I saw our friend laying on his back half asleep. He told us a joke but struggled through saying the words. As he received communion he wept a little. You could tell that he was scared and a little lonely with almost no one to visit him. I spoke to the man sharing his room and found him to be someone who desperately needed mental stimulation and interaction with people. But that wasn't happening much either.

Overall, I found the experience to be a sorely needed dose of reality in a world where ministry and service are abstract ideas. If my goal as a priest was to serve these people, then these and even worse situations were the ones I would have to embrace. In my heart I found myself embracing them. I found myself moved over what these people were feeling and what they were suffering. I wanted not just to be there for them but also to let them know that their faith was something real that they could depend on in this time.

I have much to learn. I want to open my heart and learn.