Nourishing the Extra-Ordinary Minister

The lay minister of the Eucharist often is a generous volunteer of his or her time, and who is gladly accepted and commissioned by the parish. But the call to ministry comes from two main sources: a “call” from an interior desire to serve sometimes in any capacity but mostly to serve specifically in a particular ministry like the Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist; another is a “call” from the pulpit when ministries launch appeals for membership among the laity for the different ministries that are wanting of membership, mainly for volunteers. After signing up there would then be the customary, brief preparatory period of instructions for the candidates on the “functions” and “procedures,” essentially the bare basics of performing the ministry. However, the newly commissioned minister is immediately put on the growing roster, given assignments, and then commonly left alone without an established continuing formation and further development of prayer and spiritual practices.