Eucharistic Sadness and Joy

Today I took the Holy Sacrament to members in two nursing homes. In the first, was the sadness. Frieda has been struggling with her memories for a while, but she has always received the Sacrament when offered her before. Today, she took it out of her mouth and laid it on the table. I will still be visiting her and sharing the Word with her, but she's likely received the Holy Eucharist for the last time.

But you never know. Because sometimes there are marvelous days like today. When I visited Alfred today, he was asleep at first and Clara and I caught up on some news, but then Alfred woke up. I asked if I could read to him a devotion and he nodded "yes!" I read him from Dr. Luther's Christmas Sermon of 1544 (from *Day by Day*). When I finished, I asked him if he would pray the Lord's Prayer with me - and he did!!! And then I said: "Alfred, can I give you Jesus' body and blood?" And again he said yes. He received the Sacrament for the first time in several months - he had been actively refusing it before. I'm praying that something like that will also happen with Frieda one of these days.

May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need.
O Lord, have mercy!