Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On this 6th Sunday of Easter, the readings in fact invite us to have hope in the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. We are not alone in this faith journey towards Heaven, but the Risen Lord is with us in the form of Holy Spirit. He is not only with us but also dwells in us. The promise of the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus remains unchanged: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you” (John 14:18). The Lord is working through us and offers us unwavering hope. Jesus perpetuates his mission through us his followers to all who have not yet known Him.
Moreover, we could understand from the Gospel reading that Jesus was preparing his apostles to continue his mission, to preach the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth and to offer the service of deliverance to them in his powerful name. Jesus was completing his work on earth but not abandoning the flock entrusted to him. Jesus’ going forth was to bring salvation to all people by his passion and death on the cross leading to resurrection from the dead. The words and deeds of Jesus heartened his followers, encouraging them to never give up hope, but always walk with their Lord in confidence. As his going forth drew near, Jesus promised the disciples that if they follow the commandments and walk with him, he would always accompany them, be present to and with them, even if in a way different than they were used to. The scripture says “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me and those who love me will be loved by my father and I will love them and reveal myself to them (John 14:21)”.
The Catholic Church indeed believes and teaches that the risen Lord Jesus is present in the liturgy in four primary ways: 1) The Eucharist (The Real Presence): Christ is present in a unique and supreme manner—body, blood, soul, and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine, which are transformed into his Body and Blood; 2) The Minister (The Priest): Christ is present in the person of the priest, who leads the Mass and acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) during the Eucharistic Prayer; 3) The Word (Scripture): Christ is present in the proclamation of the Word, as it is he who speaks when the Scriptures are read in church; 4)The Community (The Assembled People): Christ is present when the assembly gathers in his name, fulfilling the promise, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).
In addition to the Eucharist, we are nourished in our spiritual journey by a life of prayer, that is, turning often to God with our thoughts and desires, listening to God’s word in the silence of our hearts, attentive to God who is always present. A deep communion with the Lord takes place when we are still enough, knowing God’s presence and placing our trust in God.