After Jesus’ Resurrection, there are many examples within Scripture where He becomes visible, tangible to the disciples who are looking for Him: Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb (see John 20:13), doubting Thomas (see John 20:24-29), on the shore fishing (see John 2:17), in the Upper Room after journeying on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13-35). Each time, Jesus reveals Himself to those who seek, often unexpectedly.
We believe in a God Who is already and not yet, the beginning and the end, bread and wine turned Body and Blood. For this reason, it seems likely that not only is Jesus’ very Self made tangible to us in various ways, but that God desires to reveal and be revealed to us in more than one way.
In fact, in 1963, Pope Saint Paul VI shared not one, but four places where Christ can be found:
- In the priest celebrating Mass in persona Christi
- In the Eucharist itself
- In the Word of God proclaimed
- In the gathered community
Then, in 1997, Saint Teresa of Calcutta informally added a fifth element to this list when she described those she served as “Christ in distressing disguise” (source).
Expanding Our Awareness of Christ’s Body
At a recent gathering for women of faith, we were asked where we experience God most near to us. I was deeply moved as I listened to the way every single woman articulated her time of prayer in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. When it was my turn to speak, I shared about my experiences of serving the urban poor and how those interactions revealed the living God to me more than any other encounters of my life. Not for the first time, I felt questioning gazes from around the room.
And yet, because I had spent time in the company of Saint John Chrysostom, I knew we were describing the same encounter.
Saint John Chrysostom and the Eucharist
Saint John Chrysostom lived from 347 to 407. He was a priest and later the Archbishop of Constantinople. Today, he is recognized as a Doctor of the Church and remains a prophetic voice reminding us that how we understand the poor is necessarily related to how we understand the Eucharist. He even went so far as to say that how we treat the poor indicates how we honor the Body of Christ.
Saint John Chrysostom was given the nickname The Goldenmouth, due in part to his homilies about the necessity of caring for the vulnerable and poor. He was fiery and tireless in connecting the dots between the way we treat the most vulnerable and the reverence due at the altar.
Do you wish to honor the body of Christ? Do you ignore him when he is naked? Do not pay homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he suffers cold and nakedness. He who said, ‘This is my body,’ is the same One who said: ‘You saw me hungry and gave me no food,’ and ‘Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me.’ . . . What good is it if the eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices, when he is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger, and then, with what is left, you may adorn the altar as well” (Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 50, Paragraphs 3 and 4).
It is uncomfortable but essential to have our consciences pricked in this way, especially with so many tools at our disposal to anesthetize our Christian accountability. We need the voice and witness of people like John Chrysostom speaking in our ear. Without it, we run the risk of compartmentalizing our faith and actions, or limiting God’s presence to a single place of encounter. This is the call of the faithful, the burden of Truth.
Corpus Christi: Encountering Christ’s Presence
While we celebrate Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday (see Matthew 26:26-29), the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264 in response to lagging belief in Christ’s Presence in the Sacrament of the Altar.
Tomes have been written about the beauty, gift, and mystery of the Real Presence of Christ—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—and the Feast of Corpus Christi is an annual celebration in the life of the Church. However, experience teaches that there is no sufficient explanation that moves our head knowledge to our hearts; only encounter can do that.
What we do know is that God desires to draw near to us, and always draws us nearer to Himself.
That is why the Feast of Corpus Christi is for every believer who has found themselves in the company of the disciples murmuring, “This is a hard teaching; who can accept it?” (see John 6:60). Corpus Christi is a feast day intended to bolster our faith and renew our devotion in the Sacrament instituted by Jesus and bolstered by Eucharistic miracles all over the world.
As we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, we do so mindful of the miraculous way God nourishes us. We also recognize how the Word Made Flesh has chosen to be revealed in a variety of other ways, including among those on the margins. We are encouraged to show up in similar circumstances (see Matthew 25:35) so that we may continue to encounter Him through the imago Dei.
A Prophetic Understanding
"When you see a poor believer, think that you behold an altar . . . If you honor the altar because it receives Christ’s body, much more should you honor the poor, who are themselves the body of Christ” (John Chrysostom, Homily 82).
Saint John Chrysostom insisted that God’s presence is not strictly found at Mass, not only during Adoration, but in each encounter with others who bear the image of the Divine (see Genesis 1:27), particularly the poor. In no way does this belittle the Sacrament of the Altar, but amplifies it. This is wonderful news for those of us seeking an encounter with the Lord—these opportunities to brush up against the Glory of God, are not constrained to consecrated life or private prayer. Chrysostom echoes Jesus’ words that He will be with us until the end of the age (see Matthew 28:20).
We can understand this most fully as we reverence the entirety of the Eucharist. While we cannot grow without private devotion, neither can we fully participate in the life of the Church by neglecting the needs of those who are marginalized. The Body of Christ nourishes the Body of Christ.
Katie Cassady is a wife and mom who has worked in young adult and social ministry in a variety of roles over the past 15 years. Steeped in theological reflection, it is her joy to make connections between Scripture, service, and Catholic social teaching through her work at Catholic Charities. She holds a master's degree in Pastoral Ministry and loves to write about the dignity of the human person, stewardship, and Sabbath in a world desperate for the peace of Christ.
Get Your Planner 📒
Be a Woman of the Word
Walk with Jesus
