The Presence of Jesus

Last night was my first encounter with Eucharistic Adoration. It was really powerful. How do I describe it?

The Catholic Church believes in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This means that once the host and the cup are consecrated by a priest or bishop it ceases to be bread and wine and is truly Christ's body and blood. This is exactly what He said: "This is My body... this is My blood." To the natural eye it still looks like bread and wine. Were it analyzed it would probably still have the characteristics of bread and wine. But faith sees what cannot be seen or comprehended by the natural mind. It is no longer bread and wine. It is Jesus. It is the fullness of His Presence with us.

This is what makes the Eucharist such a precious gift to the Church. In this way we still have Christ's manifest Presence with us. If we want to leave the world behind and spend a few moments in the very Presence of our Lord then we may do so in the Eucharistic chapel. There we may drink in the fullness of His Presence and be rejuvenated by it.

I am in the process of coming into the Church. I am not allowed to receive Eucharist as yet. But I long for that day. To receive Him inside. What a wonder!

Whether you are Catholic or not, if you can perceive with eyes of faith, you will also be able to encounter Him in this way. Just go to your local Catholic parish and ask for the chapel where the Eucharist is kept. Then you will be able to spend some quiet moments in the very Presence of Jesus who loves us and gave Himself for us.