Goodbye Grandma

I’m a little late putting up my weekly blog. Yesterday, I was at my grandmother’s funeral. She passed away on Saturday after over 99 years upon this earth. In six months she would have hit the century mark, but it was not to be.

As I had done with my last three grandparents, I gave a eulogy at the funeral. That went okay though I found out later that my voice was competing with traffic from the street as well as with fans set up around the church to cool off the congregation amidst our miserable heat wave. Sometimes the outside noise won out, I understand.

I was glad to say a few words on grandma’s behalf, but just as glad when I could exit the pulpit as I’m not too crazy about speaking in public. It was a relief to sit down and know it was over. But there was a surprise to come.

As the priest was preparing the Eucharist, a lay minister looked my way and beckoned me to come forward. I’ve never seen a minister do that ever before at a Catholic mass and I’ve been a Catholic all my life.

I pressed my index finger to my chest and made an expression that said something to the effect, “You want me????”

As my brother later said, there wasn’t anybody sitting behind me. So I walked forward and joined the priest and other ministers at the altar. Nervous moment. The minister who motioned me up said, “Have you ever been a Euchuristic minister before?” I said no. Never even thought of becoming one. Well, he said I was about to become one.

Nobody in the congregation knew why I was up there either. My cousin later said to me, “I said to myself, is Dave up there AGAIN??!!” My sentiments exactly.

I’m not sure if any of my blogging buddies has ever performed ministerial duties during a church service but it’s NOT the type of thing you want to be suddenly blindsided to learn by doing. But, for grandma, of course I would do it.

My ministerial duty was to hold the wine chalice during the sacrament of communion for those who wanted to partake. Communicants all drink from the same chalice, so I needed to wipe and turn the cup after each person drank. Not too hard, though I got flustered a couple times. And a couple in my family chided me for not genuflecting in front of the altar when I returned to my pew afterwards.

I sure under the circumstances, God would forgive me. And I think grandma would as well. My guess is she was smiling over me the whole time.