“For Realsies”: Jesus in the Eucharist

It occurred to the editors of Ibo that there was one basic question, so fundamental to the Christian life, that it demanded to be explored for greater profit of both ourselves and our faithful readers. Quite simply, the question was this: What are the ways Christ promised to be with us? “That’s so obvious!” the reader might cry. Perhaps. But it is nonetheless an important question. Unless we know the primary ways of encountering the living God in the bracing reality of our lives, the faith risks becoming an abstraction at best, an ideology at worst. There are four privileged ways we know of in which Christ manifests himself to his people in the here-and-now. Four writers are exploring these in a series of four short articles. The first was here. This is the second.

By Edmund Lo, S.J.

(Image: Huffington Post)

Of the four topics that we Ibo contributors intend to cover in this series, I consider the Eucharist both the easiest and the toughest. Due to its importance, much ink has been spilled on this topic since the early days of the Church. For Catholics, receiving the Eucharist is one of the most recognizable “things” that we do; for non-Catholics, this is easily the biggest scandal of them all. Given the limits on time and space, I simply wish to address three points in this blog entry: its scriptural roots; the role of our perception of reality; and the aspect of communion.

The Forest Ranger

By Artur Suski, S.J.

Credit: http://sistemaecodeco.com

Many of us have undoubtedly been fascinated by characters of our favourite fantasy books who roam the vast forests of forgotten and distant realms. There is something in their adventures that captures our imagination, drawing us into our own fantasies. And why not? We have become too comfortable in our big concrete-and-steel mountains that we call “civilized cities”! The majority of us have very few opportunities to take a walk in the forest; by “forest”, I don’t mean the small piece of land in the middle of the city with a couple of trees. So, when was the last time you went for a good walk in a forest?

Christ of the Altar and of the Street Corner

By Artur Suski, S.J. 

Credit: http://tomperna.org

Every year, we celebrate the incarnation and birth of our Lord that is Christmas. We also go a step further: we believe in Christ’s words that he will return in the glory of his Father at the end of time. Therefore, we find ourselves somewhere in between these two great events: a historical moment of the past in one, and an unfulfilled one of the future in another. But ought we really stop at these two?

"I Am With You Always" – The Eucharist

By Artur Suski, S.J.

(Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/)

I recently came upon a very sad statistic, that anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of Catholics do not believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Why does this sadden me? As I reflect upon it, it isn’t so much that people are not following their beliefs, though this is also a source of sadness. Rather, it is that they pass by Jesus who is truly present for them, and in so doing they fail to recognize the abundance of love and mercy given to them. There is a wealth of theological treatises written on the topic of the Eucharist, and I do not intend to add another one to this collection – what my reflection will focus on is the heartfelt encounter that happens between the person proper and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.