During my many ongoing years of Catholic school, I have been taught that everyone plays a special role in the celebration of the Mass. From the celebrate priest to the cantor, lectors, gift bearers, choir or the congregation; everyone has their own role in the Mass. Growing up I would lector occasionally, be a gift bearer or an usher and I enjoyed these roles a lot. Roles such as these kept my (sometimes) wandering mind focused on the Mass. I loved participating in these roles but I wanted to do something more. In 2014, when I became a senior in high school I was trained to be a Eucharistic Minister for the school masses. Shortly after I was trained at my high school, I was trained at my church. I am not a Eucharistic Minister at my church at home as well at my college’s chapel. I remember the lady who trained me at my church saying to me "I'm so glad that you're doing this. You are going to receive so many gifts from this." I thanked her and briefly wondered what she meant by 'gifts'. I knew that she didn't mean gifts that come wrapped in a box but I could not think of another possible meaning. I forgot what she said altogether until I served for the first time at my church.

I was really nervous and even though I knew when to go up to the altar, I waited for the other Eucharistic Ministers to walk up first. I received Communion myself and took the ciborium (dish) from the priest and placed a protective hand over it as I stepped down from the altar and made my way to my place in front of the altar. The first person approached me and I locked eyes with him and held up one of the hosts. Both sets of our eyes moved to the host and I said 'the Body of Christ' he said 'Amen', received and moved on. It's hard to explain what I felt in that moment but I could some the feeling up in one word: power.

I felt God's power in that moment for the first time in a long time. I have always known that He is present in the Eucharist but becoming and Eucharistic Minister makes it feel so real to me. Being entrusted to distribute the Body and Blood of Christ is very nerve-wracking but I also feel and great sense of calm knowing that He really is there. Before I became a Eucharistic Minister at my church in 2014, there were no teen Eucharistic Ministers at my church. I have found that many teens can sometimes feel out of place during the liturgy, they feel that they have no role or that they are just there to fill a weekly requirement. I am a big believer in leading by example and since I became a Eucharistic Minister, I have been joined by three other teens with hopefully more to follow. Everyone has their place but some people need help finding it.

It is through becoming a Eucharistic Minister that I have finally found the role in the mass that I was looking for. I have never felt the call to religious life but I know that I will spend my life in service to others. I love being a Eucharistic minister because it keeps me focused during all parts of the mass, it has allowed me to feel God’s real presence during communion and it has allowed me to lead by example. These are the ‘gifts’ that I was told that I would receive. I now look forward to Sunday Mass and the opportunity to serve in this role that God has chosen for me.