Perhaps the Eucharist as Presence is the most important part of the Meal, but the hardest to grasp. As Catholics, we must believe that Christ is present to all of us through His Body and Blood. To see Him elevated, to taste Him in the Body and Blood, to feel Him in our entire body after we receive Him, to know that He is present in every single person in the congregation, even those we find annoying or threatening, this is what real Presence means. Remember that Jesus wanted to share Himself with all His apostles, including Judas, who He knew would leave dinner early to betray Him.  Remember that He washed the feet of a bunch of guys who would deny Him, betray Him, and would not even give Him the comfort of just being with Him as he hung on the cross and died, except for John, of course. And yet, He was always present to them, and He is always present to us, especially in the Eucharist! 

In addition to receiving the Eucharist as often as you can, you might try Eucharistic Adoration to help you feel the Presence of Christ in a stronger way. Most churches will set aside an hour a week, or maybe a whole day of Adoration, where the faithful can spend time it silent adoration of the Eucharist, contained in a monstrance. I know that at the first church I belonged to, it was customary to hold Adoration all night on the First Friday of every month, and people were asked to sign up for one hour during the night so that the Body of Christ was never left alone. This practice recalled Jesus’ words to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Could you stay awake and spend one hour with Me?” 

There are traditional opening and closing songs, sometimes sung in Latin or sometimes in the native language of the parishioners. While it is permitted to hold prayer services or other reflections during Adoration, it is more common to give people the opportunity to pray silently while meditating on the Body of Christ before them on the altar. I know that I find the time of silent Adoration extremely conducive to contemplative prayer, although some people might say the Rosary or other prayers during this time. But whatever you find best for you, just being in the Presence of the Lord in His Body, is the most important thing. If you haven’t tried this way or being present to Jesus, I recommend that you try being present yourself to His Real Presence.

I would love to hear your stories of how you appreciate the Eucharist as a Sacrifice,  a Meal, and a Presence. Feel free to email me at Linda@LindaLysakowski.com and pick up my book Three Mountains, a Road and a Well on Amazon.