Pastoral Encounter & Theological Reflection

As previously mentioned in this space, the men of the Pre-Theology II class were assigned to various parishes for pastoral assignments during J-term. We lived with our respective pastors and observed a great deal of parish life. We were asked to complete three (3) “Theological Reflections” on pastoral encounters we experienced during our time in the parish. I offer one of mine below:

DESCRIPTION

My arrival at the parish on the second of January was anything but calm and orderly. Due to car trouble on the way down, I was a little bit late to arrive, and when I did arrive I was quite anxious and not really focused on the task at hand (introducing myself and getting settled in). In haste, I transferred my luggage and other belongings into Father's truck, all the while silently lamenting my misfortune at now being without my car as I was about to begin my long-awaited Parish Placement. As it turned out, that afternoon Father had an appointment to administer the Sacrament of the Sick to a dying parishioner who lived quite close to the Rectory, and invited me to join him. I went along with him immediately after dropping off my car at the shop, and without having had a chance to pause after the chaos of the situation. As we entered the home of the parishioner a little while later, his wife greeted us. We explained that I was a seminarian and would be observing Father and the Deacon as they anointed her husband. She was very distraught as her husband was near death; indeed, he would die the following day. Yet she and the other family members present were very welcoming and happy that we were there, even though I was a total stranger and suddenly privy to a most intimate moment in their lives. I stood back and observed as Father, the Deacon, and the family gathered around the bed and the Rite was begun. To my surprise, Father asked me to read the Gospel passage from the Rite. I approached and took the Deacon’s little green book and read the selection from the Gospel of St. Matthew. I then stepped back again as the Deacon administered a very small fragment of the Host to the dying gentleman, and the rest to his wife standing at the bedside. Only with great difficulty and help from those around was he able to Communicate. With great effort, the family helped him take a sip of water to aid in the swallowing of the Host. Afterwards, as we were getting ready to leave, he perked up a bit and thanked us for coming (he had not been very coherent throughout most of the visit). We conversed with the family for a few minutes longer, and then left.

MY RESPONSE

As I reflect on this first pastoral encounter, I am thankful that I was able to experience something so significant within an hour of my arrival at the Parish. This encounter plucked me out of my own preoccupations and worries and placed me very suddenly into a situation where they were of no importance. What was important was the comfort of that man and his family, to be provided by Christ through the ministers of His Church, and I was privileged to be a witness to that. I realized that it would be important to allow this to continue over the next few weeks; to set aside my own thoughts, inclinations, problems, etc, and simply let the Lord lead me to experience what ministry in the Church really consists of. Also, I could not help but reflect on my own “performance” at that encounter: was it fitting for me to read the Gospel? Did I do a good job of it? Did I not just witness a very powerful thing happen with the Holy Eucharist? Did I pay sufficient attention to the actions of Father and the Deacon as they performed their sacramental duties? My response has included asking myself these questions.

PASTORAL ANALYSIS

This encounter taught me something about the importance of knowing my role in ministry. When faced with situations where others are suffering, it is important to offer what I can in my unique role and let my other responsibilities take a back seat for a while. I suspect it may be difficult for a priest, so often busy with his own important responsibilities, to suddenly have to be present for people on difficult and unexpected occasions. I realize that I actually look forward to doing this sort of thing, and that gives me confidence that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing (pursuing this vocation). Through this encounter (quite simply) I also gained a greater appreciation for the Sacraments.