If you had the lady’s phone number, you could have rang her and told her not to lock the door, or ask the caretaker to stay a bit longer, or since you are able to serve as Eucharisti minister, are you not able to bring the Sacred Host back into the tabernacle and then left the church.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.
We have been instructed that this is the best solution when no one can be there. Usually the person(s) whose hour is over are expected to stay over for the next hour when this happens, but then there are sometimes unavoidable situations. During the daylight hours there is usually not a problem, but in the wee hours of morning no one else is around or reachable. The Church is kept locked at night so the person going off watch lets the next group in.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.
While a agree that EMHC’s are allowed to deposit the Blessed Sacrament into the tabernacle, I do not believe they are authorized to remove one from the Monstrance. It is my understanding that only Ordinary Ministers can do Benediction. But I could be wrong. From a practical pont of view, what would the people who come to Adoration think when the Blessed Sacrament was gone?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.
I’m with N2. Carry the Lord to the woman in need. Not even a close call to me.Forgive me, though, if I find a touch of irony in the term “protecting”; as if God needs us for protection.
Not at all. St Tarcisius is a great example of one who understood the Eucharist. And he paid the ultimate price to be that example. Every altar boy has learned of the importance of their role because of how serious St. Tarcisius too his responsibility. And, if you chose to stay, it too is a great act of piety and devotion. But you asked what we would do. Many chose to turn their heart to the Christ in our homebound neighbor. Not better or worse. Just different.St. Tarcisius was martyred while trying to protect the Eucharist. Was that death in vain if the Eucharist does not need our protection?
No, of course not. According to tradition, Tarcisius was martyred when he was carrying the Eucharist and was attacked by pagans intent on stealing the Eucharist from him.St. Tarcisius was martyred while trying to protect the Eucharist. Was that death in vain if the Eucharist does not need our protection?
Not really “high crime” or “dangerous” but attacks against the church have been on the rise – last year three life-size nativity statues were taken. One was smashed into dozens of pieces, another one was found partcially broken in the nearby woods and the third was never recovered.Is your Church in a dangerous or high crime area?
I had no means of physically locking up the church and as Orionthehunter pointed out …Could you lock up?
I would have acted out of love. Love fulfills all the law, because we are to focus on the intent of the law, not the letter.If you found yourself in my shoes, what would you have done?
What a great answer!I would have acted out of love. Love fulfills all the law, because we are to focus on the intent of the law, not the letter.
These are issues of discipline, not dogma. The faith you have could be expressed through either of these two acts. So as long as you acted out of love, you choice could not be wrong. If later someone tells you a better solution to the problem and you become convinced you are right you could act differently in the future but it does not make you original act wrong since you did the best you knew at the time and did it out of love.