Much Will Be Required

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”  (Luke 12:48)

Over the past 24 hours I have realized how much is required of me because God has entrusted me with so much. This evening I attended the funeral service of a patient I have cared for over the past 10 months but especially these past 2 months as she was placed on hospice care and the family had to make some difficult choices. We had many long talks with the family as they worked through these decisions. And while I don’t speak Spanish and didn’t understand what was being said at the service, the language of love is universal. No words were needed to express my sorrow to the family, an embrace and my presence was all that was needed.

A few weeks ago there was a conversation among a few of my co-workers regarding our responsibility to our families after their child dies. One of the doctors said it is not his responsibility to follow-up with the families. He said that he was responsible for the child and after the child dies, he has no further obligation. I was very surprised by his comment because he is so compassionate when caring for the families. The rest of us have a different opinion. These families develop deep relationships with the staff and when their child dies they need our support. Most of their family and friends have only had a glimpse of what their child had to endure while we witnessed it firsthand. We need to let them know that they are not alone and help them identify resources to help them through this difficult time. Maybe I am a little more sensitive to this because when my siblings died, there were no resources for my family and it made dealing with their deaths so much harder. It is hard to reach out at times, you don’t want to intrude on them, but I have never regretted reaching out to a family.

My husband had surgery today and it was a reminder that God has entrusted him to me as well. I was there with him before they took him back for the surgery and there when he woke up in the recovery room. Once we got home I made sure he was comfortable, changed his dressing every 30 minutes until the bleeding slowed down and got him things he needed throughout the day. It was a tender moment in time for us. It forced us to slow down and not worry about work or things around the house, etc. And then tonight at my parish we had our annual re-training for all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. It was a reminder of what an honor and responsibility we have, distributing the Body and precious Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is not just about the steps involved but a reminder of how important it is to be prepared spiritually for this awesome responsibility which means attending Mass and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently so that God’s grace can be poured out on me.

It is humbling to know that God has entrusted me with so much and that much is demanded of me. I can only accomplish this by turning to Him for strength and guidance.