As a Church, we celebrate the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and in each other
When the Catholic Church expresses her belief in the Real Presence of Jesus as we gather for the Eucharist, we profess to believe that Jesus is present in the consecrated bread and wine, in the Word that is proclaimed and in the people of God gathered together in His name. Jesus is truly present in our midst.
Jesus’ presence — His own flesh and blood — was and is a sign of how much God loves us. God took on flesh and became one of us to show His deep and everlasting love for us. In that human being, Jesus, God’s love is expressed uniquely and perpetually. Since each of us is made in God’s image and likeness and shares in His divinity, we can extend the gift of God’s presence in each of our own lives. Imagine how the world might be different if we truly believed that God is present to us in every human being.
Think of how divided we are, how we’ve lost our sense of belonging to one another and our sense of the beauty of God’s presence. Reflect on our attitude about those who share in the Eucharist at Mass. What is our attitude as we enter the church and prepare for Mass? Do we notice those around us critically or graciously? What are the exterior distractions? What catches our attention? Are we fully conscious of the expectation that Jesus will be present to us through those around us?
Notice how a person’s hairstyle or choice of dress diverts our consciousness of God’s presence in them. Depending on our preferences, the person next to us might seem very similar or very different. If we worship in a crowded church, we probably don’t have a choice about how close to sit to others. In many churches, it looks as though we are a gathered group of individuals looking for every opportunity not to interact with each other.
Jesus nourishes and gives us food for the journey. He comes to us in various disguises of other humans. Recall those who have presented themselves in our lives. Remember the experiences in which someone speaks the right words or gives a hug or smiles. It’s clear that they are showing Jesus’ presence. Don’t forget those experiences; have faith that they’re possible whenever we encounter another human being. How can that possibly happen every time?
So much of that has to do with our belief that we bring Jesus’ presence to others through our flesh and blood, our personality and unique traits and gifts. The next time we prepare to enter a church to celebrate the Eucharist, gather with a Bible study group or join a regular lunch or dinner group, remind ourselves that we are the presence of Jesus to all we meet. If we’re gathering with friends, it isn’t too difficult to bring forth our best self, share our gifts and be vulnerable. It’s a challenge, though, when we anticipate others who are different from us or whom we see as a threat. Take the example of Jesus as He walked to Calvary. He had the chance to hate His persecutors and to condemn those who nailed Him to the cross. Instead, He chose to give His Real Presence to all of them. It was through prayer and His relationship with God that He was able to do that. We can come armed with a lively relationship with Jesus and pure and peaceful hearts. We choose to give that gift to others no matter how they treat us or how much communion we believe we have with them.
We pray Jesus’ prayer as we encounter one another. May we be one as the Trinity is one, formed in relationships of love and self-sacrifice for the sake of God’s glory.
Father Donald Wester is retired and serves as lecturer of homiletics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
