May 16, 2010 THE UNFINISHED IMAGE
One of the pleasures of priestly ministry is the opportunity to visit with people. Some solitude, of course, is necessary in every life. I treasure solitude too, though it is all too infrequent. However, the interaction with people has many rewards. I’ve often felt aglow after visiting with people who bear an illness with dignity, or grief with strength, or defeat with valor. Recently, I also discovered I learned something very profound from a 100 year old woman. She recently moved into a local nursing home from a far-away city. I was notified of her Catholic faith and was asked to bring her Holy Communion.
When I visited her she was seated alone at a table in the dining room. Some measure of dementia had set in. She didn’t know who I was, of course, so I introduced myself. She wasn’t sure she understood so I pointed to my roman collar. That didn’t seem to help either. I repeated a few times that I had brought her Holy Communion. She didn’t seem to understand, so I took the large pyx out of my pocket. The pyx is the golden container that holds the hosts. I opened the pyx, and her face lighted up. She said, “My late husband used to have a watch just like that one!” At first I thought she was joking, but she was very serious, even though the hosts were visible in the pyx. She continued, “Be sure you don’t let anyone else lay claim to that watch, it’s very beautiful.” I had to cover a smile. Then, we both exchanged some kind words, and I was on my way.
So, what did I learn from her? I learned that we often look Jesus in the face and fail to recognize him. Sometimes, I suppose that happens at Eucharist when our minds are wandering onto other subjects and venues at communion time. And, sometimes we fail to recognize Jesus when we are with our family members at the dinner table. And, sometimes we fail to recognize Jesus in the stranger we meet on the street. And, sometimes we fail to recognize Jesus in those who hold religious or political views opposite from ours. And, of course, sometimes we fail to recognize Jesus in the faces of those who hunger, thirst, seek companionship; in the homeless, the poor, the victims of natural disasters.
I learned something from this 100 year old woman. Of course, she is older than I am by just a few years, and therefore has more experience than I. God bless her.