I attended Mass Sunday morning and witnessed - for the first time - a priest "sit out" the distribution of Holy Eucharist!  He was a visiting missionary priest, and he gave a wonderful talk about his mission and offered quite a nice Mass otherwise.  But to sit out the Eucharistic Procession???

I've heard others lament it... I've read the blogs of those who decried it.  I've always counted myself lucky to be one of those who had never experienced that incomprehensible lack of appreciation for the gift of the priesthood before. 

I was dumbfounded.  I haven't accepted the Eucharist from a Eucharistic Minister since my reversion.  I had even made Jesus that special promise after He was kind enough to send Father Piotr my way on His Corpus Christi Feast.  I was absolutely heartbroken.  I didn't know what to do!

I wasn't sure if I should even partake of the Eucharist, but then I remembered what Jesus repeatedly told St. Faustina.  Always accept the Body of Christ because nothing should keep the soul away from Christ unless there is a stain of mortal sin.  I couldn't think of any mortal sin I might be in the shadow of, so I accepted the Eucharist from an EM... feeling my heart sink for the priest who passed up on his obligation to feed His people!

I was so upset for this priest that I was near tears as I walked back to my seat.  The poor guy next to me noticed my facial expression and wasn't sure what to say to me.  I wouldn't have known what to say either.  All I could do was repeat the Hail Mary and Our Father over and over again, asking that the Holy Spirit open this priest's heart to the importance of distributing the Eucharist personally. 

Bah.  I was seriously tempted to wait in my seat and ask for him to distribute to me after Mass, but I felt as though that'd be presumptuous on my part.  Then I wondered if I'd be able to make it up to 40th street (30 blocks north) in time for their Eucharistic Procession.  That thought got knocked over by virtue of my own fear that I'd miss it.  Bah!  So up I went to accept from one of the Eucharistic Ministers while I shot pleading looks at Father Missionary to reconsider out of love for Christ.

No such luck... and I'm still a little upset.  I felt off for the rest of the day, like I did something wrong or had something wrong done to me.  I don't really know.  I can't properly express it.  Bah.  Please pray for these priests.  May they open their hearts to the great grace of being chosen to personally deliver the Christ of Salvation to the faithful.