Visitors to the Vineyard, pt. 3

LESSON THIRTEENTH: On the Sacraments in General

Q. 574. What is a Sacrament?

A. A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.

What I love about my job as parish Director of Religious Education is also what I hate about it: that I work where I worship. The good side is I can avail myself of the sacraments as often as I need—which is continually; the bad side is I can’t escape work when I worship.

At times when I should be engaged in silent prayer or concentrating on the various parts of the liturgy, I find myself ‘doing my job’ i.e., keeping an eye on children’s behavior or figuring out who I need to speak to after Mass and how I can manage to ‘catch’ as many of them as possible before I myself get ‘caught’. Other times, God takes pity on me and grants me the grace of pure prayer, but then afterwards I worry if I’ve been carefully following the rubrics of the Mass. I can become so absorbed in my conversation with Jesus that I forget where I am or what I’m doing.

Yesterday is a prime example. I’d just left the weekly meeting with all the First Sacraments’ parents after asking them to remind their children to step forward confidently when they come up to receive their First Holy Communion, say their “Amen” loud enough to be heard, and make a big Sign of the Cross versus a small furtive one. I’ve been saying more or less these same things week-after-week-after-week... and wondering if a hint of frustration has slipped into my tone or manner. Please God, I hope not!

Our pastor had given an amazing homily about “And Jesus Wept” which I alluded to in my previous post. As an RCIA Sponsor I needed to attend Mass with my catechumen and I was looking forward to hearing the homily again. On this second time around I was determined to listen to Our Lord’s Voice in the Mass and not let my mind wander. Every single Mass and homily is another ‘Visitor to our Vineyard’—someone come to prune, fertilize and water our vines.

Well, I succeeded in listening and paying attention so well, that Communion and Mass were over before I realized I didn’t have a clue how I’d received Communion physically; but I had this vague sense of not even saying my “Amen” at all much less saying it loud. I’m sure I at least made the Sign of the Cross, but I did it out of habit—a reflex—and I doubt it was the way I had told the children to make it, big and bold. And yet, all that said, it was probably one of the best communions I’ve had with Jesus in a very long time. My heart was completely at one with His. I was focused on Him, (not myself) His message and His sorrows as described in John Chapter 11.

Our Lord gave me two great gifts on Sunday. The first was obviously the beautiful experience of Communion with Him, but I think the second gift was more important. It was the reminder that there are two dimensions to sacramental communion: the physical outward signs and the invisible inward action of Grace.

What I’m trying to say is, we can get all the actions right and the heart may be elsewhere. But if the heart is prepared and loving when the child, or even adult, goes up to receive The Body and Blood of Jesus, then mistakes in form aren't going to matter. And we poor humans cannot see into each other's hearts.

So this Sunday when I talk to my First Sacraments’ parents, I’m going to use myself as the guinea pig and remind them that only God can see into another person’s heart. We can teach our children and love them and pray for them—and certainly we can never stop doing any of those things—but it is God who does the real Work in each soul, through the power of His transforming Grace.

And as the little daughter of the lady who I am sponsoring this year for Easter prays, “Our Father, Who works hard in Heaven...”

Yes, He does. And on earth...and under the earth and everywhere else too.

Thanks be to God!