My encounter as a Minister to the Sick, Elderly and housebound.
I remember many years ago being asked by the hospital chaplain if I would be able to go and visit and take Communion to an elderly lady who was being discharged from the hospital.
The chaplain explained that Mary, an elderly lady in her 90s, had not been to Church for many years.
She added that Mary would not put up with any nonsense and I needed to ‘tread very carefully ‘with her.
Subsequently, I phoned and arranged to go to Mary’s flat to bring her Communion.
After ringing the doorbell, I was met by an unfriendly lady, I introduced myself, and she told me she was Mary’s daughter and made it very clear I was not welcome. So with a quick prayer, I braced myself to meet Mary. She was a very interesting lady, very petite in size, with strong opinions, clearly the matriarch of the house, but was more than happy to chat. Meanwhile, the daughter was dispatched to the kitchen, where she could be heard noisily banging around. Clearly, she did not approve of my visit and why I was there.
After chatting and praying a few simple prayers with Mary, she received the Eucharist and we arranged for her to phone me when she wanted me to come back, rather than me organising a set time. I thought that might be the last I saw of them both, but no, a couple of weeks later, I was invited back.
The daughter remained hostile to me and went out when I arrived. I breathed a sigh of relief.
This pattern carried on for some months, which led to years, and I slowly got to learn about these two.
Mary was very astute and had run her own business, which would have been difficult in that era. She was a genuine women’s libber…well ahead of her time.
She hadn’t been inside a Church for many years, but she had a couple of family members/ friends, who had connections to the religious life as nuns and priests. She told stories of their visits over the years to her which she enjoyed.
From our conversation, I learnt that the daughter was divorced many years ago. Divorce was frowned upon by the Church, which made her feel alienated and excluded. Hence the hostility to anything Catholic. Also, a good lesson for me; it is a gift to have a listening ear without judgements, answers or solutions.
After a period of about five years and visiting them regularly, the daughter slowly became friendly and even joined in some of our conversations. But would always leave the room when it came to time for prayer and Communion. Slowly her mask was dropped.
Mary, who by now was well advanced in years, went into care and subsequently died. I thought my work was done, but no, the daughter wanted me to continue visiting her and even asked if I could organise for her to see a priest, and she would like for me to bring her Communion. I was flabbergasted at this remarkable change in attitude.
I felt like this was Jesus working through me.
When we go into people’s homes, it is indeed a privileged space of great grace. These are indeed sacred moments.
All we are asked to be is that ‘empty vessel’ where the Holy Spirit can work.
Service to those at home through bringing them Holy Communion is service of love, hospitality and friendship that Christians have done since the earliest days of Christianity.
From the House Churches, the Eucharist was taken to those who could not be present. Is this a ministry for you? If yes, please email the pastoral team