On Tuesday night, I started our new retreat series called Living the Eucharist: Circle of Life and I had a real audience. It was lovely to have people in the Church as I presented. After giving 26 retreat sessions over the last year during the pandemic, this was the first session to have people with me! I was a little nervous but after only a few minutes, I realized how I have missed seeing the reactions and hearing the responses. Thank you to those who came and I invite you to come in person if you are comfortable. We encourage only vaccinated people to come in person and we ask everyone to still wear their masks as an additional precaution.
My first session started with the real presence of Christ and how it requires the real presence of us as we attend. I gave the example of how today, in the era of sound bites and short attention spans, we often find it hard to be really present to one another. Who among us have not been talking to someone when we realize they are not really listening and we ask, “Are you listening?” To which they might reply, “Sure. What were you saying?” as they attempt to focus their attention again. Real presence requires some serious work on our behalf and it seems it getting harder for us.
Then I asked the question, “When are we best at paying attention to others?” The obvious answer is when others are truly suffering. Think of your child or elderly parent when they are very sick, confused and in hospital. We are completely and absolutely present to them. We were really present to them in those moments without anything else to distract because their suffering demanded that reality from us.
The same is true for us when we attend the Eucharist. We will be present to the celebration of the Mass when we realize that we are called to be present to others as much as for ourselves. The Eucharist is a communal action and an individual action. When we gather we recognize the gathered Body of Christ in all its humanity and potential for divinity. We are most present to the Eucharist when we remember others who are suffering and we are there for them. The real presence of Christ also means the real presence of others and us. We are the gathered Body of Christ and we become what we receive.
Next week I will start going through the four movements of the Mass (Gathering, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist, Sending Forth) and explain how these play out in our daily life. I will relate them to the movements of my previous retreat called Cairns on the Second Mountain; about how we need to move through the cairns of self-awareness, humility, love, gratitude and joy each and every week of our lives to keep us on the path of discipleship.
Please join us live if at all possible and invite a friend to join us. At the in-person sessions, I have a brief Q&A afterwards and it is great to chat with the attendees. Please also promote the YouTube or Facebook livestream as many people are not available at that time and welcome the opportunity to attend this retreat.
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan