The Presence in the One who serves

I am in your midst as the One Who serves you. (Lk 22:27)


When we serve others for the pure love of serving God,
we fulfill our call to follow in the example set forth by our Lord, Himself.
For Christ Himself came among us to serve.

Jesus had to be one of us,
so that he could serve God
as our merciful and faithful high priest
and forgive our sins. (Hebrews 2:17)

This service must be one of self-denial,
humility,
and love.
Only by this three-step 'formula' will it be true service
according to the example of our Savior.

In this way,
will our genuine presence
in serving our brothers and sisters,
obtain God's reward.

The Lord's Eucharistic Presence

The Catholic Church teaches that when a priest repeats the words of Christ at the Last Supper (in the celebration of the Mass) over bread and wine - that these become truly the Body and Blood of the Lord, even though the appearance of the bread and wine remain.

...On the night he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: ``Take, eat: this is my body.'' He took the cup, gave thanks and said: ``Take, drink: this is my blood.'' Since Christ himself has declared the bread to be his body, who can have any further doubt? Since he himself has said quite categorically, This is my blood, who would dare to question and say that it is not his blood?
(St Cyril of Jerusalem)

``Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.'' (John 20:29)

In the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus gives us Himself.
He offers his own body and pours out his own blood.
In giving to us the totality of his life at every eucharistic feast, we continually acknowledge his true presence. Jesus draws us into Himself. (Pope Benedict XVI)

"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." (John 6:56)

Thus it is through the working of the Holy Spirit that Christ himself continues to be present and active in his Church, starting with her vital center which is the Eucharist...

The Eucharist is Christ
who gives himself to us
and continually builds us up as His Body - the Church.

We must humbly ask God for the faith to believe in this truth beyond all expectation, tradition and sense. ``Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.'' (Mark 10:15)

Seeing God's Presence with the eyes of Charity

How simple it would be if only we could see with the eyes of Charity...

To have charity in our hearts is to live according to God's commandment "to love one another..."
How can we obtain this charity of neighbor?

Three little words: pray, pray, pray...
We pray unceasingly, with a sincere heart, and with an urgent pitch in our voices because only God can give us the charity necessary to see, and be able to "love our neighbor as ourselves..."

It is easy to love our loved ones and all those who are kind (charitable) towards us. But at times, (and probably more often than we care to admit) even our loved ones act unkindly and in an uncharitable manner. Do we stop loving them at this moment or do we pray instead for God to open our eyes and see His presence within?

Does our human weakness battle (against the greater nature of our essence) at this point?
Or do we simply, naturally acquiesce to the virtue (bestowed by the grace of God) and love these unkindly loved ones all the more?

Every moment, as gift

Even when I see you not,
You are there.
Even when I hear you not,
You are there.
Even when I feel you not,
You are there.

You and Your ineffable presence are always there, here and everywhere.

You are in the sad.
You are in the lonely.
You are in the broken.
You are in the dying.

When I see you not,
let me run to one who is broken and lost,
that we may - together - give witness to the majesty of your healing power of forgiveness,
and be restored through you.

When I hear you not,
let me be close to one who is (perhaps silently) pleading for you,
begging for compassion and understanding,
so that by your grace, we may listen to your gentle words of mercy and Love,
and be restored with you.

When I feel you not,
let me be close to one who is needy of your loving embrace,
perhaps forgotten and burdened by the weight of this world...
so that by your grace, we may experience the joy of the Crucified,
and be restored in you.

Let us find You
wherever we go,
for You alone
are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

The Presence of the Silent One

As the peace of the Spirit comes into our hearts, as a gift of grace soothing any bitterness or despair; the presence of the Silent One begins recreating hope within – through the rays of light (the light of Truth).
These tiny rays are not deposited for they are born of an endless source; instead, they shine through us onto others – as we begin to glow with a renewed sense of joy – joy in the hope of a never-ending treasure of love.

The reality of our wounded universe, suffering, divided, with great despair and poverty, with its many signs of division, hatred and death, would lead us to think that all is hopeless. Nothing can be further from the Truth; for the presence of the Silent One is waiting to be found in every despairing soul in need of Love and understanding.

When we stop to listen with the heart (with the honest intent to stay for awhile) we are open to receiving the Presence of the Silent One in the disguise of the broken ones. When we accept one another for the special person God created us to be (with our own uniqueness of gifts, talents and peculiarities), we acknowledge God’s Presence within – regardless of language, social background, religious beliefs or any other apparent differences – we all come from the same source who is Life himself.

Since we are all members of the same family under God and united in Christ, the presence of the Spirit is the Silent One – who waits to be found, acknowledged, cherished, loved, in the person that is in each moment of our lives, everyday.
When we serve as ‘conveyors’, ‘vessels ‘, ‘messengers of Love ‘ – we truly become like ‘Christ to others’, and we meet 'Christ' in others (…where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there…) The Silent One is always present; but we must make silence in order to listen. And we must listen in the heart, where the Silent One speaks, in a language understood only by Love.