Simplicity

"Out of the mouths of babes." So goes the familiar saying. Suggesting that the youngest among us sometimes grasp and articulate that which is most deep and complex … in delightfully simple ways.

Some of you may remember this post, where I was so stuck by a young girl's delight at the communion rail.

Her parents (and maybe our parish priest?) must be doing some marvelous things with this very young girl, who's probably about 4 years old.

Yesterday, I again had the opportunity to serve as Eucharistic Minister [a.k.a. Chalice Bearer]. The priest was ahead of me, pressing the communion wafers into the hands of all the faithful. So I was up close when this girl child received the Body of Christ and immediately turned to her just slightly older brother, holding up the host and saying to him in a most happy declaration, "This is Jesus! This is Jesus!"

As I approached, she dipped the host into the wine most carefully, then consumed it with a very big smile. I can just barely glimpse into the faith of this little girl.

Sometimes we "ministers" are more ministered-to than we minister-to. This was one of those moments.

I think of all my ponderings during a typical Eucharistic service. I think of all the wranglings about "table fellowship" in some sectors of the Episcopal Church. And the most powerful image for me is this little girl, happily accepting the host, knowing and declaring "This is Jesus!" and believing it nourishes her.