Jesus' Ongoing Presence

In 1932, a popular magazine asked the English author, G.K. Chesterton, to write an article with the title, “How Would Jesus Solve the World’s Problems If He Were Alive Today?”. In his usual style, Chesterton surprised the editors by answering the question in an unexpected way. He wrote that Jesus is indeed still alive today. He makes His presence known on altars all over the world. And He is indeed still helping to solve the world’s problems by inspiring the hearts of those who believe in Him and moving their hands to help their neighbors in need.

Tonight, we gather here to celebrate Jesus’ ongoing presence in our world. We commemorate the supper He shared with His apostles in which He left us the gift of His Body and Blood. Though we call this meal, “The Last Supper”, it really should be called “The First Supper”, because it was a meal that, from then on, would be repeated throughout history right down to this very night. On this altar and on altars all over the world, our Risen Lord Jesus reveals Himself to us in the bread and wine we offer. Not only does He reveal Himself, but He offers Himself to us once again. We receive His Body into our bodies so that we can be united with Him always.

Jesus is still alive among us. He brings comfort to those in sorrow. Many times people sit quietly in this church pouring their troubles out before Jesus in the Eucharist. They pray for their children, they agonize over their jobs and they sob over the loved ones they have lost. Encountering Jesus in this tabernacle, they bring Him their fears and He gives them faith. They bring Him their despair and He inspires them with hope. They bring Him their cold hearts and He fires them up with a burning love. All this takes place here and throughout the world because of the tremendous gift of the Eucharist which Jesus left to us on this Holy Thursday night.

In today’s world, it can be difficult to believe that Jesus can really be present in the form of bread and wine. We disbelieve what we cannot see for ourselves. As a result, we tend to treat the Eucharist as merely a symbol of Jesus’ presence rather than what it really is, His true Body and Blood. However, when we approach Mass with that attitude, we miss out on all the graces that Jesus wants to offer us in this Blessed Sacrament. We miss out on the comfort of His presence in our hearts. We miss out on being touched by the love He has for us. We miss out on the transforming power of His love. Whenever we find ourselves doubting the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, we must beg God to open our eyes so that we can receive all that He has to give us through this most holy mystery He instituted for us on this Holy Thursday night.

Jesus is still alive and active in the world today through the mystery of the Holy Eucharist. However, there is another mysterious way in which He makes His presence known in today’s world. It is through us who believe in Him. When we receive Holy Communion, we become His Body. As such, we bring His presence out into the world. It is up to us to bring Jesus’ comfort to those who are mourning. It is up to us to feed the hungry. It is up to us, through the power we receive in the Eucharist, to serve our sisters and brothers in need.

Jesus makes this clear in tonight’s gospel by washing His apostles’ feet. In doing so He left them and us an example to follow. If we believe that Jesus humbles Himself enough to offer Himself to us in the form of bread and wine, then we must become humble enough to offer ourselves to one another no matter how dirty the job. Only in that way can Christ’s presence radiate from this place of worship to a suffering world. As Saint Teresa of Avila put it in her beautiful poem, “Christ has no hands now but ours.”

Jesus is alive and active in the world today through the Eucharist we celebrate and through the service that Christians offer on behalf of the poor. This is the night when we celebrate that loving presence and commit ourselves more earnestly to work on behalf of those who are longing to know the consolation that only God can give.

It is an ancient tradition on this Holy Thursday night to end our celebration by spending an hour in prayer before our Lord in the Eucharist. Just as He asked His disciples to stay awake one hour with Him as He agonized over the cruel death He would suffer, He asks us to do so as well. During that time, let us ask to experience the comfort that comes from believing that He is present in our midst. Let us also ask Him to strengthen our hands to do His work. Then, there will be no question that He is alive and present in this suffering world.