July 2, 2010
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:9-13)
Piety
Lord, help me to say yes as Matthew and the others did when You say, “Follow me,” even when where You are going frightens me.
Study
I’ve done a lot of “things” at Mass in the past four and a half years: Greeted folks and ushered. Read the announcements. Lectored. Written and read the prayers of the faithful. Filled in as sacristan. Read the pitch for Commitment Sunday and the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal. When you get right down to it, there’s only one thing I’ve never done at Mass: served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.
One part of me thought it was good to have something I couldn’t do at Mass. Another part of me, the klutzy part, figured it was just as well I wasn’t involved in something that could cause so many problems if I tripped. But the biggest part didn’t feel worthy. Speak Christ’s words, no problem. Try to reflect His goodness in welcoming others, no problem. But present His body and blood to someone else? Too much responsibility.
Earlier this year, I ended up taking the Eucharist to a friend who was undergoing chemotherapy. The intense gravity and belief on her face that day kept coming back to me. And I began to wonder if maybe I am worthy to be an EM after all.
Last weekend, I was talking with a friend. She and her husband are stepping up their service due to a death in the parish, and will be handling EM scheduling for the time being. She asked the same question I’ve been asked by so many other people: “You’re an EM, right?” But instead of laughing it off, this time I told the truth: “I don’t think I’m holy enough to be an EM.” She smiled. “It doesn’t matter how good you are,” she said. “It matters how good Christ is, and letting Him minister through you.”
I thought of the passage from Matthew that is today’s Gospel reading. The conversation was a good reminder that if Christ used only the perfectly righteous among us, it’d take forever to do anything. And so, next time our diocese offers EM training, I’ll put my hand up for consideration, not as a personal sacrifice but for the opportunity to serve as physical reminder of the mercy of the Living Word.
Action
What are you not doing for Christ because you don’t think you’re holy enough? Consider following Him no matter what your opinion of yourself is.
