I have a list. I’m a very organized guy! (Okay, not really, but I do have a list) Every week, I go to the long term care hospital to bring communion to folks with long standing medical issues. Here in America, this is where we send people to die. It’s a sad way to put it, but… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Service
Dead Tree Decor
What the heck is with the dead trees? When did this become a Lent thing? Seriously, I can’t think of a church I have been to in the last few years that doesn’t remove the pretty flowers arrangements that scatter the church and replace them with dead twigs. Now I’m not saying we should have… Continue Reading
My Favorite Night of the Week
Every other Sunday, we have guests. Sometimes they fill the house, sometimes it’s just one or two folks. Sometimes it’s loud and raucous, sometimes it’s quiet and prayerful. It is always awesome. I used to be a Youth Ministry Coordinator, and when one of my former youth group kids asked me to start up a… Continue Reading
Prayer of Death
So I’m about to head out on my weekly round to the nursing homes, and I’m suddenly reminded of my first service I was a part of for a retirement community. One of our die-hard parishoners was leading the service, and she asked me to read the prayer she always read right after communion. It… Continue Reading
Ellen
Every time I go to visit Ellen, it is like walking into a small Catholic oasis in the middle of the convalescent hospital. She has been there a while, and has collected many things, but the first thing you notice when you walk into her room is Catholic radio lightly playing in the background. I usually come around three,… Continue Reading
Death at the Senior Center
I have a group I meet with every week to bring them communion and to spend some time with in prayer. It is a small group of about ten people, though it is rare for everyone to remember to come. Considering how bad my memory is now, I expect I won’t remember to come at… Continue Reading
Convalescent Home Adventures
Every Monday I have the pleasure of visiting Joan. Now let me start by saying I have spoken with Joan’s daughter at length, and she is very glad that I come to visit Joan once a week to bring her Communion. Not to say that Joan isn’t glad, quite the opposite. She is ecstatic to see me every… Continue Reading
Crossing the Line
This weekend in our formation classes we had an interesting discussion that I wanted to share. In our psychology course, our professor constantly has us working in small groups, working out different counseling situations, with one of us acting as a therapist, and the other role playing a problem someone might have. This begged the question, is… Continue Reading