Sunday mornings, once a month I have the privilege of bringing the Eucharist to people in the hospital. It is always an experience that reveals the true presence to me in different ways. The oddest way so far happened to me this past Sunday morning.
I was tasked with both the cancer ward, as well as the maternity ward. Everyone who I came across in the cancer ward was very grateful to receive the body of Christ. This was a stark contrast with the maternity ward. I entered one room as a mother was breastfeeding her newborn baby girl. I introduced myself as being a Eucharistic Minister from the catholic Community of N. W-B and would she like to receive communion this morning. The mother replied, "For her?"
"No, for You," I said. She responded again, "No, not for me, but can she?" indicating her newborn. this caught me completely off guard. My first reaction was not one in reference to the age of reason (in my Byzantine background, First communion is often given with baptism) but rather of practicality. "your newborn is just learning to breastfeed, and I only have the Body of Christ with me." "Oh, well... when can she receive?"
Another stumper. Wasn't this woman listed as a Catholic on the call sheet? I told her it wouldn't be until first communion, then, said God Bless and congratulations, and moved on.
But this young woman has been troubling me all day. I can understand (sort of) if a parent has no faith, but wants their child brought up in a faith for developmental and intellectual reasons. The idea being that a child will retain something of an intellectual faith or moral underpinning that the parent sees as valuable. But in this case, even if the mother didn't understand exactly what I was doing, she at least understood it as being of some sort of spiritual grace or benefit. The infant could clearly not have any intellectual gain from whatever she thought I was doing. This being the case, why oh why would the mother acknowledge the spiritual benefit and want her child to have it, but refuse it for herself?
I was tasked with both the cancer ward, as well as the maternity ward. Everyone who I came across in the cancer ward was very grateful to receive the body of Christ. This was a stark contrast with the maternity ward. I entered one room as a mother was breastfeeding her newborn baby girl. I introduced myself as being a Eucharistic Minister from the catholic Community of N. W-B and would she like to receive communion this morning. The mother replied, "For her?"
"No, for You," I said. She responded again, "No, not for me, but can she?" indicating her newborn. this caught me completely off guard. My first reaction was not one in reference to the age of reason (in my Byzantine background, First communion is often given with baptism) but rather of practicality. "your newborn is just learning to breastfeed, and I only have the Body of Christ with me." "Oh, well... when can she receive?"
Another stumper. Wasn't this woman listed as a Catholic on the call sheet? I told her it wouldn't be until first communion, then, said God Bless and congratulations, and moved on.
But this young woman has been troubling me all day. I can understand (sort of) if a parent has no faith, but wants their child brought up in a faith for developmental and intellectual reasons. The idea being that a child will retain something of an intellectual faith or moral underpinning that the parent sees as valuable. But in this case, even if the mother didn't understand exactly what I was doing, she at least understood it as being of some sort of spiritual grace or benefit. The infant could clearly not have any intellectual gain from whatever she thought I was doing. This being the case, why oh why would the mother acknowledge the spiritual benefit and want her child to have it, but refuse it for herself?
