The Real Presence – what it really means...

In what you'll find is easily his most accessible commentary yet for Catholica, Nathanael Theologos in this short but value-laden reflection drives to the heartwood concepts at the centre, focus and objective of Catholicism...

The setting is the Upper Room on the Thursday before the celebration of The Passover.

Jesus and His friends are gathered to eat the Passover meal. The celebration of Passover, is one of joy in sharing the fruits of life with family, friends and guests. Jesus turns the festive occasion into enlightening the gathering, with His revelation that one of His gathered friends will betray Him into the hands of the executioner. It is also the moment when Jesus will acquaint His company with His sacrifice of self, to serve the needs of all who seek God's salvation. Jesus announces His coming death.

Using the festive fayre, bread becomes the body of Christ. Wine assumes its role, as the blood of Christ. Sacrifice becomes the invitation to all His gathered friends. For Jesus invites all human life to sacrifice as He sacrifices His life for us. Do this in remembrance of me, says Jesus. Sacrifice becomes the call of Jesus, to all who wish to remember Him through imitation of His life.

The Eucharist is the very present reminder that in our sacrifices for the common good, we remember Jesus' sacrifice for us. In the Eucharist we are requested by The Christ to offer our life in sacrifice for the needs of all who are in need. Sacrifice of self, becomes the clarion call of The Redeemer.

Mass is a celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth, by its celebrant and gathered faithful. For our life can only be celebrated at the banquet table of The Creator, when we have voluntarily chosen to enact into life the promise that we make to Our Father, when we accept into our mouth the very real presence of The Christ. In this acceptance of Christ's life, we are pledging our will to be the imitation of all that the life of Jesus will be when we honour our part in revealing in our life, all that The Christ asks of us.

There are many records of supernatural events surrounding the consecrated host that evidences the willingness of God to remind us that His presence in our life, is also present in the bread of life that we receive each Sunday at the celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth.

The village of Lanciano, Italy represents the best known example of the bleeding host that influenced the non-believing priest and celebrant of Holy Mass, to recognise that in the Holy Eucharist is truly found the very presence of God in the life of each and every person, who chooses to implement the contract made when receiving The Christ into our life.

Let us not imagine the Eucharist as being an end in itself, for Catholicism is not about magic. The Eucharist is the beginning of new life.

Through imitation of the sacrifice of Jesus which we celebrate when we receive the body and blood of The Redeemer, the Eucharist is the place for all believers to freely choose to reflect the inner Christ into their life and the lives of all with whom they share life.

Photo Credit: The wood carving of the Last Supper was purchased many years ago by the editors late parents on one of their overseas travels. I do not know its origin. It now graces the wall in my dining room.

Nathanael Theologos is the pen name of a Catholic priest and clinical psychologist based in the Mediterranean.

Nathanael Theologos can be contacted at:
theologos@catholica.com.au

[Theologos Archive]