My Opportunity with God

The downtown Chicago crowd nestled into their pews when the priest finished the gospel. We all sat in silence and waited for some inspiring words. However, I must admit, I instead thought about where my husband and I would go for brunch, the sale at the shops on Michigan Avenue, and all the things I had to do for the rest of the day. Unfortunately for me, the pew we sat in was not our “regular spot.” The many church-goers that day, along with our own late arrival, set us back a few more rows than usual. This relocation caused me to squint as a bright morning summer sun shone through a stained glass window. “Damn tourists,” I thought to myself. My contemplation about the day ahead, along with this slight irritation seemed to put me into another world. However, Father Dan then said something that instantly pulled me home: Do not see the cross you bear as an obstacle, but as an opportunity. “That’s it!” I thought, “I know he’s talking to me, and I know what I should do.” And so began my work at a local hospital as a minister of care – the ministry of volunteers who visit Catholics and bring them Holy Communion.