Eye Contact and Inspiration

A follow-up to the Sunday, May 16, 2010 blog.

When I served Communion on Sunday, I concentrated on good eye contact and started to see the humanity in each person. Then I felt like we are all part of the same community, which we are. It increased my feelings of belonging in the parish community.

A woman in the first row had her small son with her. The child looked to be about four or five years old and wanted to be held a lot. He looked too heavy to be held all the time, and sometimes the mom put him down. The son would then stand with his back towards the priest and hugged his mother.

When the mom came up for Communion, her son came with of course. Then he proceeded to grab the Host out of her hand! The mom grabbed it back, and the child tried to grabbing it again and started whining that he wanted one too. The mother said he couldn't have a Host. Sigh.

After Communion I was a one out of two sacristans. That's when I got all nervous and befuddled. Where was the other sacristan? I stepped out into the hallway and found another EOM to help me. Finally the other sacristan showed up, and in the end it took five of us to set up for the next Mass. We were all a bit unsure as to what we were doing. Yes, we were trained. Yes there were pictures and diagrams to follow. Maybe we were just insecure. We acted that way.

That evening I went to dinner at my friends' house. My friend grew up Jewish and married a "recovering Catholic." They celebrate the partiness of Christmas and are raising their son in no particular faith. She asked me if I found church inspirational. I said sometimes. It was a great opportunity to talk about my faith and church and God and Jesus, but the cat got my tongue. Instead I said, "Sometimes." This is not the first time she's asked me about Catholicism. I always feel insecure when I give her an answer. So, I need to write how church inspires me when I can think it through and then send her letter about it.