While in church on Sunday, I experienced a very unique moment in a very powerful way. It was a beautiful Mass, filled with incredible music, a great homily by the Bishop, and, of course, the beauty of the sacrament of Mass, but one moment eclipsed that and captured my heart. One moment in which I was touched by the grace and faith of one person.
After the congregation was finished walking to the front for communion and everyone was back in their pew kneeling, one small, much older man was standing about 2 rows from the front. The woman next to him was in scrubs, and obviously his nurse. As he stood, one of the extraordinary ministers of communion approached him and gave him communion. His nurse sat down, motioning for him to join, but he remained standing. As I watched him, he remained standing until the altar had been cleared and the people brought the Eucharist past him to return it to the tabernacle in the back of the church. He slowly sank to the pew, and I marveled at the beauty of his reverence. Not 3 minutes later, as the priest was making announcements, another man pushed a wheelchair up to the pew, and three people helped the man into his wheelchair with much difficulty. This man couldn’t even walk!! And here he was, not only at Mass, but doing everything in his power to reverence the Sacrament. A simple gesture, but so meaningful for him.
Seeing this beautiful display of faith really made me look inward and wonder how much I appreciated the Sacrament of Communion. How reverent was I? How many times during Mass had I goofed off, let my mind wander, or missed the true importance of what I was experiencing? I challenge you to not just let this man’s simple gesture not only touch me but you as well. Understand the privilege that Mass is and don’t take any moment of it for granted, because that old man sure didn’t!
