Our Lord is so merciful to appear to us, to be present to us. During the octave (the week after Easter) we read of the appearances of Christ. We see that Christ is present to the whole community, in order to strengthen and send them. Jesus appears to the individual, in need of healing. He also appears to the individual, in need of a personal, intimate conversation with Him. He appears to the community when they are gathered in prayer and in work. Christ appears in the Resurrection narratives and the scripture following the Resurrection in the following eight ways.
ACTIVITY – Read the Spiritual Reading Mysterium Fidei by Pope Paul VI and find the eight ways Christ is present to His Church. With each way, there are examples of how we see the presence of Christ in our lives through these eight ways.
Christ is present to the Church…
when she prays
as she performs her works of mercy
as she moves along on her pilgrimage with a longing to reach the portals of eternal life
as she preaches, since the Gospel which she proclaims is the word of God
as she rules and governs the People of God
as she offers the Sacrifice of the Mass in His name
as she administers the sacraments
in a way that surpasses all the others. It is His presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This presence is called “par excellence” and is thus titled “real”.
Many people feel as if Christ has abandoned them. We live in a world that does not recognize the presence of Christ and has even doubted and began to believe that Christ is no longer present.
Think and discuss why Christ’s presence would not be recognized if…
we failed to pray
we failed to perform works of mercy
we believed that this world was the only thing we have and that heaven was not real
the Gospel was not proclaimed or heard
the Pope and Bishops did not rule and govern or the faithful refused to be governed
the faithful did not attend Mass and the priests did not offer Mass
the Sacraments were not administered or taken seriously in their preparation and reception
devotion to the Holy Eucharist was not practiced
we fail to read Scripture, the Catechism and other books to further our knowledge of Christ and the Church
What can we do in our life to increase Christ’s presence? How can we promote His presence in our families, parish and community?