Real Presence

Fr. Laurence's talk last night on the Eucharist led me, providentially, to read an article by Luigi Giussani, "Religious Awareness in Modern Man," which you can find here. On page 137 I found an interesting description of what "presence" means.

He quotes Romano Guardini: "In the experience of a great love, everything that happens becomes an event within its sphere." He gives an example: "If God is a fact among us, it is as though I had received a very important guest into my house: the house remains mine, but it is his, because everything rotates around him."

In other words, when love is present, everything experienced fits within love's embrace, takes its cue from love, orients itself according to love, and is valued and finds meaning there.

Giussani cites Jesus' "Presence" that had such a radical impact on his first followers (as related in the first chapter of the Gospel of John):

"The encounter with Jesus was for each of them an event that overturned their lives, filled it with a total demand, eliminating every empty space within them, every plan independent of him. If a God who became one of us, who came to be among us as our life's companion, did not tend to determine our every thought, plan and sentiment, if he were not understood in this all-embracing way, he would simply cease to be God."

We all know that signs and symbols help us to experience the reality of the events and things they signify. The crucifix in our home helps us experience Jesus' suffering and death; the flag, our nation's ideals. Actions and words paint pictures for us of the deeds they enact and depict.

"This is my body. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me." Jesus' words invite us into his stunning sacrifice of love, and gently exhort us to radically transform our lives as we absorb this perturbing fact. Our faithful response brings us into His orbit and eliminates the "empty space" within us, the distance that keeps us out of His presence.

So Christ in the Eucharist invites us into His embrace, His presence, His love, as He offers us Himself in a bit of bread and a sip of wine. Our best response is to enter into that presence.