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Faith Today Supplement, The Message, CatholicDiocese of Evansville, March 4, 1988
Faith Todav
A supplement to Cotholic newspapers published by
NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
1312 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C, 20005,
grant assistance fTom
The Cathohc Church
EXTENBION soc,ety
35 East Wcx Dr., Chicago, Illinos 60601
All contents copyright© 1988 by NC News Serce.
9
By Jane Wolford Hughes
NC News Service
W
idowed for 14
years, Helen had
sold linens at
Sears and was
retired. She had a
modest, predictable, tidy life. Near-
ly 18 months ago, she took her
elderly Aunt Mary into her home.
What happened after that helps to
illustrate the vast number of ways
parishes are a support to people --
a "resource," you might say.
Mary had been hospitalized for
depression and could not care for
herself. The two women have no
other relatives and Helen could not
stretch her income to cover a nurs-
ing home.
At first, Helen says, she was
amused at having "my little
shadow always at my side, almost
always silent." But before long
Helen beg?n to feel she had "relin-
quished something necessary fi)r
my own balance -- privacy and
freedom."
Helen went out, but always with
Mar)' because she was afraid to
leave her alone. Attempts to in-
terest Mar), in television or sewing
alone were resisted.
Then, during Lent, Mar)' sudden-
ly said she had to make her Easter
duty. "I think it was the good Lord
intervening, for what happened
brought new life to my life," Helen
said.
During the sacrament of
penance, Helen spoke with the
priest of her anger at her "captive
situation." He listened sym-
Where do Christians turn when they become interested in learn-
ing more about faith or in renewing their lives as followers of Jesus?
This week, Faith Today's writers explore the different kinds of resources
available to help Christians delve deeper into faith. Not to be overlook-
ed are the people in a parish -- pastors, counselors, lay ministers, small
groups -- who are serving as a resource to one another in untold ways.
pathetically and said he thought the
parish "could help me in doing
God's work," Helen said.
Before long she had a call from a
member of the parish Christian ser-
vice commission who listened to
Helen's story and came to the
house with Brenda, Evelyn and Ed.
After several visits, the three gained
Mary's confidence.
Brenda, a former beautician,
spends a half day each week with
Mary doing her hair and nails and
sometimes a facial. Evelyn and Ed,
contemporaries in age to Mary,
come to "gamble" each Friday
evening. They even get Mary to
laugh when she wins t Hearts.
"Mary will not likely ever
recover and I am still confined but
the bonds do not cut now," Helen
said. "I am able to be tender, for I
am seeing the wounded Jesus in-
stead of a shell of a woman• Bren-
da, Evelyn and Ed have taught me
that a good deed is never ex-
hausted. It whispers its life into
others."
D[3E]
Sally and Carl had been attending
marriage preparation classes for a
short time at Sally's parish. Chuck
and Kit Murray were working with
them along with Father Ed. In this
setting, the engaged couple would
begin to see with new eyes and
come to know each other in a new
way.
Sally and Carl, in their late 20s,
were successful, bright and a bit
cool during the sessions. Father Ed
sensed an underlying current of
tmrest, perhaps unrevealed by Sally
and Carl even to each other.
The three leaders continued
without pressing the couple un-
comfortably. But when Kit said
"marriage is a leap of faith, letting
(;od take over," Carl leaned for-
ward and said, "I can't do it. I'm
not ready!"
Then Carl dragged his feelings in-
to the open. "I love Sally, but I'm
not sure I love her enough to live
with her success. I don't want to
lose her but I can't risk causing our
.marriage to fail."
The wedding was postponed, but
Sally and Carl continued their rela-
tionship and continued to see the
three leaders.
Once Carl had voiced them, his
fears did not hover like vultures
over him. He was encouraged by
Sally's obvious love of him for -
himself and not for his present or
potential success.
The Murrays and Father Ed were
healthy influences on the couple,
and in a year -- five years ago --
Sally and Carl were r0arried.
DNTq
Jim became a eucharistic
minister, partly because Peg, his
wife, was often confined with ar-
thritis. He felt it was his respon-
sibility and privilege to bring the
Eucharist to her.
As he made his rounds, Jim felt
he needed something more to share
with people. So he joined a Bible
study group in an effort to bring
new dimensions to his ministry.
Now retired, Jim is one of the
parish's busiest eucharistic ministers
-- a means by which the strength
of the parish, greater than the sum
of its parts, reaches people.
The homebound eagerly await
Jim's arrival. He prays and reads
Scripture with them. And he tries
to be a friend, joining the family in
its celebrations and sorrows.
"l looked foward to retirement
with reluctance, for the future
}'awned with meaningless tasks.
Now 1 experience life with a
capital L," Jim said. "To me,
reading Scripture daily and caring
for others, I have transcended the
man I was."
(Mrs. Hughes is a religious
education consultant and a free-
lance writer.)
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