Christ’s Presence is for All
Some believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist only in some Christian Churches. We will explore that concept later, but let us first celebrate the good news of the many ways Jesus is present to all believers.
Can you name a place where God is not? In Matthew 18:20 Jesus assures, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them," This biblical passage invites us to explore Christ’s omnipresence.
Christ’s boundless love and divine power are present in the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers, guiding and sustaining them. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-17).
Jesus is not just an historical figure, but an active and living presence in the lives of believers. It was necessary that Christ leave us so that He could sent the Holy Spirit to enable us. (John 16:7).
Christ is really present in the hearts of believers: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
Christ is present in the life of the church where each member is part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Our daily lives should reflect that life of Christ in us.
Engaging in the needs of the community with the compassion of Jesus moves us to action: “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in” (Matthew 25:35).
The greatest way we can have the life of Jesus in us is described in the most misunderstood words Jesus ever spoke - Chapter 6 in the Gospel of John: “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” The crowd reacted immediately, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
They understood Him literally.
Jesus did not correct them. He repeated it again and again:
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” And what happened next? Many left.
Father Chissom (Chi Som) explains clearly. If Jesus had meant this only as a symbol, He would have immediately set the record straight. But he did not. He let them walk away.
Even today, many Christians believe the Eucharist is just bread.
The Eucharist is not just bread. But it is the real presence of Christ.
His Body. His Blood.
Jesus is asking us today, “Do you also want to leave?” And we, hopefully, answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Over the centuries Jesus has enabled our belief in the Eucharist with many miraculous events. Lanciano is perhaps best known, where the host that is Christ’s body turned into flesh. Scientific tests have determined it to be heart tissue. And this flesh knows no decay even after 1200 years.
There are many stories from many countries that talk of miracles and the Eucharist. But we do not have to travel far. The changes of heart, the spiritual blessings, the joy and hope that fill us when Christ is present with us, these are more vivid than something that happened twelve hundred years ago.
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