Evening for Eucharistic ministers to focus on nourishing their souls

Eucharistic ministers, take note: An upcoming evening of reflection at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna will focus solely on your ministry and how you can be nourished by God, just as the Eucharist nourishes people.

The gathering's leader, Rev. Anthony Kall, OFM Conv., is a member of the pastoral team at the Center City Partnership in Albany (which includes Our Lady of Angels, St. Casimir's and St. Patrick's parishes).

The evening will include a prayer service, dinner, presentation and liturgy.

Telling stories

"I use stories from my own life and the lives of people I've met," Father Kall said of his presentation.

He gave the example of a recent stop at McDonald's, where he rushed in during a hectic day and sat at a booth to wolf down a hamburger -- until he spotted a father with three small children nearby.

"I noticed how excited they were about the hamburgers and prizes" included in the kids' meals, Father Kall remembered. "God put these little kids across from me to show me there is time to enjoy life."

That moment of feeling "nourished" by God is the kind of result he hopes to spark in those who come to the evening of reflection.

Nourishment

While most parishes have training programs for Eucharistic ministers to help them recognize that their ministry is more than handing out Communion, Father Kall said, "I believe God nourishes us through the sacraments and the ordinary moments of life."

But like all human beings, he added, even Eucharistic ministers aren't always open to recognizing God's nourishment.

"If we limit the Eucharist to 'the thing that takes place on Sunday morning,' we're missing out on the larger meaning," he said. "We're all the body of Christ; we're all Eucharist to one another."

Father Kall joked that becoming aware of the ways God feeds people in everyday life is like a child's realization of the nutritional value of spinach after being told to eat it for years. God is nourishing people even when they don't know it, he explained, but recognizing it makes for "full participation" in feeling its positive effects.

Time apart

Father Kall invited Eucharistic ministers from all over the Diocese to attend his presentation, noting that Catholics who volunteer at their churches and manage their daily lives should do something to avoid stress.

"Many Eucharistic ministers are experiencing burnout because of commitments," he said. "We need to make time to go apart from the regular routine and spend some time reflecting on what our lives are all about. Are [Eucharistic ministers] being nourished themselves? Are they missing out on opportunities for nourishment?"

(There is a $25 fee for the Oct. 19 evening of reflection for Eucharistic ministers, which runs from 6:30-9:15 p.m. For information, call the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center at 393-4169 or email [email protected].)

(10/14/04)