Last week he was a Seventh day Adventist – Then he called Monday and left a message that he was now a Baptist – the third call on Tuesday was a wonderful heart-felt Easter greeting

On my way home today from work in NH my phone rang and it was Ernest again  - I was tempted to let it go to voicemail but pushed the button and his deep voice said “Hi this is Ernest and I was wondering if you were going to church tonight”

I met Ernest a little more than a year ago when he called the rectory to see if anyone there was interested in giving him a ride to church – Ernest had been going to church in a nearby town but his ride was no longer able to pick him up on Saturday nights so he started calling churches to see if he could “get a ride”

Ernest lives with his wife in Groton and is in the DMR program for people who formerly lived at the Seaside Regional Center for the  Mentally Retarded in nearby Waterford – tonight he told me that he lived there for 22 years after staying with his family until he was 6 – Ernest is now 56 and is the best 7^th Day Adventist, Baptist Catholic I’ve ever known – During this year, Ernest has been an on and off again Catholic more times than I can keep track of – After a few weekends, he would call and say he was not going to church again and then a month later he would call, as if he never stopped and ask if I could take him to Mass on Saturday night

I’ve prayed much about why I was chosen to be part of this man’s life – He undoubtedly is going to heaven when he dies, his mental retardation does not make it possible for him to sin and he truly does believe in God and understands in a beautifully simple way who Jesus is and what He did for us – my prayer is that I understand why I am given the grace of taking him to church – I often try to share my graces with others who may need some extra blessings – not that I can’t use all of the grace I can get, but many times I am busy doing other ministry tasks and have not been able to pick him up when he calls on a Friday and decides he wants to go to Mass this week – I ponder the question as to whether Ernest was intended to be my occasion for grace or was I supposed to find someone else to care for his spiritual needs – I have talked to our pastor, have sought many of my parish friends help and have asked God what I am to do – then, as I mentioned, he decides that he doesn’t want to go to church or changes denominations again and he is gone for months at a time - & then, the phone rings and it’s Ernest

Tonight I watched him as he prayed after receiving the Eucharist on the feast that celebrates Christ’s gift of His body, blood, soul, and divinity.  Ernest understood completely what he just received as he bowed his head in prayer – As I said my normal prayer after receiving I added a blessing for my pal Ernest –
 
I had made other commitments for tomorrow, for the vigil and for Easter Sunday and won’t be able to take him to Mass – as we rode home, after I stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts to get his wife 4 donuts, at her request, and a raspberry iced tea with four Equals for Ernest, he told me that he would watch Mass on EWTN instead-If only all of us Catholics were that devoted, it would make our God very happy

I thank my Lord for the blessing of Ernest and pray for direction as to what to do the next time he decides that he wants to become a Methodist or Baptist again – for now, may God bless him and keep him, may His face shine upon him and may God’s peace be with Ernest this Easter season.