Moral Dilemma: What Would YOU Have Done?

[Sir_Knight]

I’m an EMHC ministering to the elderly, sick & homebound. I rarely distribute in church unless specifically asked to do so.

The other day, one of the people that I bring communion to asked me to stop by earlier because her care-taker had to leave earlier and once the care-taker was gone, she would have no way of coming to the door to let me in.

So I left early and even allowed myself a little extra time to account for traffic and/or any other possible delays but I encountered something that I had not planned for.

Every Friday our church has Eucharistic Adoration. There is a sign-up sheet to ensure that there is at least one person for each hour. However, when I got there to get the host to bring to the elderly homebound woman, I found the church to be empty … nobody was keeping our Lord company – the exposed Eucharist was sitting alone and unattended!

Apparently, the person that signed up for that hour couldn’t make it – either for a valid reason or for a not so valid reason … I’m not going to guess or judge. And, the person that was there for the previous hour, also had to leave – either for a valid reason or for a not so valid reason … I’m not going to guess or judge.

Moral dilemma: Stay & keep our Lord company until the next person shows up or bring our Lord to another soul that was waiting for Him?

If you found yourself in my shoes, what would you have done?

PS: The rectory was closed and there was nobody around so there was no other option besides these two.

 

[RJO]

Easy to say since I wasn’t there, but I would have made my apologies to our Lord, then go to take care of the elderly person. After all, Jesus did say “what you do for the least of your brothers, you do for me.” I’m sure he understood & blessed you.
RJO

 

[kell0618]

First, I would have gotten on the phone and attempted to contact the pastor. If to no avail…

Second, I would have contacted any parishioner I knew to be responsible and reliable to come to spend an hour with the Lord. If to no avail…

Third, I would have called the person you were expected to visit and hope that they would understand the reason you would not be making it.

To safeguard Christ at all times would be my priority. I could always apologize to the person I was to visit and if they truly believed the Eucharist to be of utmost importance, they would understand.

Peace be with you,

Kelly

 

[Sir_Knight]

First, I would have gotten on the phone and attempted to contact the pastor. If to no avail…

The only number that we have is for the rectory and there was nobody there.

Second, I would have contacted any parishioner I knew to be responsible and reliable to come to spend an hour with the Lord. If to no avail…

Two things:

1. 
   *]If I was on the phone looking for phone numbers and trying to contact people, I wouldn’t be spending that time with our Lord.
   
   *] By the time I found somebody and they got there, the hour would have either been up already with another person there or almost up.

 

[Corki]

Could you have place the Blessed Sacrament back in the tabernacle?

 

[Sir_Knight]

Could you have place the Blessed Sacrament back in the tabernacle?

I may be mistaken, but I believe that only a deacon or a priest is allowed to do that (take the Eucharist out and put It back in again).

 

[Pete99]

I would have taken communion to the homebound person.
I had a priest tell me one time to never be so busy praying that you won’t get up to answer a call for help.

 

[Corki]

I may be mistaken, but I believe that only a deacon or a priest is allowed to do that (take the Eucharist out and put It back in again).

I believe that EMHCs are allowed to do this too - not with the blessings or prayers but to simply repose the Blessed Sacrament in order to not leave Him unattended. It is not the preferred thing to do but the best alternative in this situation, IMHO.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I’m not too sure about that but assuming that you are correct, then what would have happened for the person that came during the next hour and found no exposed Eucharist?

 

[Corki]

I’m not too sure about that but assuming that you are correct, then what would have happened for the person that came during the next hour and found no exposed Eucharist?

They could still do their Holy Hour, just with Jesus in the tablernacle. Once the priest is located, he can expose the Blessed Sacrament again. According to the docs below, a lay person could expose Him again as well but unless there was a plan to do this, I would personally wait for the priest.

Here is a more informed opinion than mine:

However, should no priest or deacon be available, an authorized extraordinary minister may perform a simple reposition of the Eucharist once the turns of adoration have been completed (see the 1973 document “Eucharistiae Sacramentum” of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Nos. 91-92).

ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur15.htm

And here is No. 91 from that document

III. Minister Of Exposition

1. The ordinary minister for exposition of the eucharist is a priest or deacon. At the end of the period of adoration, before the reposition, he blesses the congregation with the sacrament.

In the absence of a priest or deacon or if they are lawfully impeded, the following persons may publicly expose and later repose the eucharist for the adoration of the faithful:

a. an acolyte or special minister of communion;

b. upon appointment by the local Ordinary, a member of a religious community or of a pious association of laymen or laywomen which is devoted to eucharistic adoration.

Such ministers may open the tabernacle and also, as required, place the ciborium on the altar or place the host in the monstrance. At the end of the period of adoration, they replace the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle. It is not lawful, however, for them to give the blessing with the sacrament.

 

[puzzleannie]

I’m Moral dilemma: Stay & keep our Lord company until the next person shows up or bring our Lord to another soul that was waiting for Him?

If you found yourself in my shoes, what would you have done?

PStwo.

lock the door on my way out, that is the policy in every parish I have visited that has adoration hours. up to the next person who comes to call the person responsible for opening up. if you are an EMHC, you should have already been trained on what to do in this eventuality, and since you are allowed to open the tabernacle to get the communion for the sick, you could have simply reposed the blessed sacrament at the same time. the errand to the sick person is the thing that should not have been delayed, because reception of communion is even more important than adoration of Christ in the Eucharist, in fact they are inseparable.

 

[kell0618]

The only number that we have is for the rectory and there was nobody there.

Two things:

1. 
   *]If I was on the phone looking for phone numbers and trying to contact people, I wouldn’t be spending that time with our Lord.
   *] By the time I found somebody and they got there, the hour would have either been up already with another person there or almost up.

1. 
   You missed my number three? You asked what I would have done. I told you.
   
   I know the numbers of fellow parishioners to contact. I have the priest’s number in my speed dial on the cellphone. I do not think, IMO, it is ever correct to give occasion to have the Lord desecrated.
   
   Kelly

 

[Sir_Knight]

You missed my number three? You asked what I would have done. I told you.

I did not have a reply to it and took it as the course of action you were recommending.

I know the numbers of fellow parishioners to contact.

I don’t. I have a few at home but none with me.

I have the priest’s number in my speed dial on the cellphone.

The number that I have for the priest is the rectory and there was nobody there but an answering machine.

 

[Sir_Knight]

if you are an EMHC, you should have already been trained on what to do in this eventuality

Trained? What training? The priest laid his hand on me and said a prayer over me in Latin and that was it. There was no training.

 

[Newbie2]

I would have taken communion to the homebound person.
I had a priest tell me one time to never be so busy praying that you won’t get up to answer a call for help.

I’m not too sure about that but assuming that you are correct, then what would have happened for the person that came during the next hour and found no exposed Eucharist?

Leave a note?

Easy to say since I wasn’t there, but I would have made my apologies to our Lord, then go to take care of the elderly person. After all, Jesus did say “what you do for the least of your brothers, you do for me.” I’m sure he understood & blessed you.
RJO

I’m sure either way, God would understand. Best to make sure the priest knows of the situation, which I’m sure you’ve done, and ask him what to do if it happens again.

 

[blossom02]

Emergencies do come up in these cases. I’m on the Adoration committee at my parish. We have a cover for the Montrance for these times. We cover the montrance and turn down the lights and leave the door ajar for the next adorer.

Not perfect, we know, unfortunatly we can only do what is humanly possible to protect our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Ask you parish priest to advise you on the rules for your adoration chapel in this case.

Bless you for your concern for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[JFonseka]

It’s obviously the second choice.

Jesus wanted his word to be spread and he commanded that people should love one anothher and help others. That’s what you did, and that is good.

 

[PaulinVA]

Isn’t this rule in part to prevent sacrilege?

It’s the same reason that the tabernacle is usually kept locked.

We don’t want someone coming in and desecrating the Host. If no one is there, then it should be returned to the tabernacle. If you can’t return it, then you must sit with Him until relieved by someone else.

 

[Newbie2]

Good answer, too.

I know what everyone’s saying here about “protecting”, and respect and agree with the answers. Forgive me, though, if I find a touch of irony in the term “protecting”; as if God needs us for protection.

 

[Tabby]

I have a cell phone, so I would have called the person who was expecting me and explained the problem, letting her know that I’d either be over as soon as someone got there or that I’d come the next day if no one came in time for me to visit her. Then I would have stayed with our Lord until someone else got there. The adoration chapel at our church has contact info for the adoration coordinator in the chapel, so I’d have then called the AC and asked that person to either come over or find someone. (Ordinarily, making phone calls in adoration is not proper protocol, but I think a case like this constitutes just cause.)

So, my recommendation to you for the future is to one, get a cell phone, if possible; and two, ask your parish’s AC to put contact info and a phone in the adoration chapel (our chapel has a phone for just such emergencies).

Newbie2:

… as if God needs us for protection.

One of the consequences of the Incarnation and the gift of the Eucharist is that God chose to entrust himself to our protection.