Calmed By Communion

Friday, August 14, 1998

John 6:53 – Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

My mother-in-law is elderly, ill, housebound and not a very happy person. She is in constant pain physically and emotionally. She tells me of her youth in the old country, of how she wasn't wanted, of being beaten for being left-handed and when that didn't work, how her mother cut her forefinger from the nail to the knuckle. Left-handedness was considered a sign of the devil. She tells of her mistreatment when she came to this country.

Her anger and rage is vented on everyone and everything; she tells me her stories at every visit and I listen. She is mad at the world and few are exempt, except she is never mad at God. We have sat together in silent prayer and shared the grace of the gospel via the television.

On a recent visit, she was having one of her "moments" when the "Travelling Sister" phoned to see if she could bring communion that day. The sister is a retired nun who takes communion to the infirm, the housebound, and residents in care homes.

I listened as the Sister spoke, and as they shared communion a certain peacefulness came upon my mother-in-law that lasted the rest of the day. She had been calmed by communion and the grace of God through his servant.

God is our refuge and our strength. He calms us in turbulent times. We can put ourselves in a place of unrest, yet, He can quiet our fears and relieve us of our rage. We can be calmed by communion: communion with family and friends, communion with bread and wine, and communion with Him in prayer.

Prayer: We give thanks, Oh Lord, for the many ways in which you work within our lives. We give thanks also for those whom you have sent us as servants of your word. We offer our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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About the author:

Mary Daniel <marydee@shaw.ca>
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

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