“I was sick and you visited me . . .” (Matthew 25, 36)
Parish Ministers to the homebound bring the Eucharistic presence of Christ and his Church, in Holy Communion, to those unable to join us at Mass.
Ensuring that the community is made present to the sick and homebound has been a part of the Church’s practices since our beginnings. Around the year 150 A.D., St. Justin Martyr explained,
“And when the presbyter has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the consecrated bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.”
Visiting the sick is one of the corporal works of mercy. Jesus speaks of them when he describes in Matthew 25 what the judgment will be like: “I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink . . . I was sick, and you visited me . . .”
If you are interested in visiting the homebound, please contact the rectory at 212-673-4224 and someone from the Committee will be in touch with you. We would love for you to join us!
This ministry usually begins when a person is prepared and commissioned to be an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. Most of our Extraordinary Ministers at Most Holy Redeemer also assist the priest in Communion at Mass, but there are some whose ministry is simply to the homebound.
In the words of one who has been of our Extraordinary Ministers to the Homebound:
“Visiting the sick and homebound is not only ‘a good deed;’ it’s a privilege that the Lord bestows on each and every one of us, if we choose to accept it. With this ministry, we are called to sacrifice a little bit of time every week or so to bring the Body of Christ to someone who may be lonely, depressed, ill and isolated. With this ministry, we become representatives of the larger Church, and we bring the Church to the homebound person.
“It can be daunting to go into a stranger’s home for the first time, but in general I have found that they are so grateful--not only for the Eucharist, but for a chance to chat and visit with someone, and to be included in a way--that the trepidation of meeting someone new disappears quickly. It’s not long before our common struggles that bind us together as children of God and as members of the Body of Christ bring us close.
“I have been doing this ministry for about seven years now, and it has been so rewarding. I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know the people I visit and their families. In many ways, I feel that I have become an extension of their families. I have heard their histories, have listened to their agonies, have prayed with them, have answered their questions when they are curious about what is going on in the Church community. I cannot count how many times I have felt that I was actually getting more out of it than the person I visited. I feel truly blessed to have been called to this ministry.
“Another thing that I have enjoyed is meeting with the other members of the Homebound Committee, where we prayerfully gather to share our stories once a month. Throughout the years, we have heard many stories of how the people we visit touch us.”