The Living Presence Of Jesus

Do you believe that the Risen Lord Jesus is with you at this very moment? After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples of Jesus went out to share the Good News of the Resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit they knew Jesus was alive and His living Presence was still with them. Stephen sees Him as he is being stoned to death. Saul experiences this Living Presence on the road to Damascus. Jesus came to Ananias and told him to go and baptize Saul. It was Jesus who revealed to John in a vision the wonders of the Book of Revelation.

The Apostles knew the promises of Jesus,” I am with you till the end of time” Mt.28:20. “If you love me… my Father will love you and we will come and make our home with you” John 14:23. “Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I am in the midst of them” Mt. 18:20. They were aware of the Risen Jesus and communicated this Presence to those who heard them! I remember reading a life of St. Athanatius who lived in the second century. I had the sense as I read it that the early Christians were so conscious of the Living Presence of Jesus that they would not be surprised to see Him open the door and walk into their midst!

As time went by and Jesus did not physically return as they were expecting, this awareness of the Living Presence became less palpable. What has kept it alive for Catholics is the belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This core belief has not wavered since the beginning when Paul said, "Is not the bread we break a sharing in the Body of the Lord and is not the cup we drink a sharing in the Blood of Christ?" This belief waxes and wanes in individuals but is held firm and at all times flourishes in the Church. It is strengthened by mystical experiences when the Presence of the Risen Lord is seen or experienced by individuals in the Church, similar to the apparitions of Our Lady.

There are apparitions of Jesus which are well known. Jesus appeared to St. Catherine of Sienna; prayed with her; taught her to read; directed her in her life and exchanged hearts with her. Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary, revealing to her His Heart burning with love for humankind and asking her to communicate to others His great love and spread Devotion to His Sacred Heart. In the 20^th century we have the apparition of Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska. He appeared as He is seen in the iconic picture of the Risen Jesus from whose heart radiates two streams of light, one white and one red, signifying the blood and water that gushed from His Heart when it was pierced on Calvary. She was to communicate to humankind the Mercy of God. Read about her apparitions of the Risen Jesus in her diary.

But there have been others, less well known. In the early 1900’s Jesus communicated daily for several years with a young Sister Josefa Menendez, whom He asked to suffer with Him for the salvation of souls. He would spend whole days with her as she tried to go about her duties. The journaling of her experiences is recorded in the book, The Way of Divine Love, in which we see the burning love in the Heart of Jesus for her and each of us.

Here in the United States in the 1940’s, a married woman and mother, mystic Cora Evans, convert from Mormonism, had mystical experiences in which she saw the Risen Lord. He communicated to her an account of His life here on earth which she wrote down. It was just published in 2014 as the Refugee from Heaven. He charged her to communicate to the world, an understanding of and devotion to, His Mystical Humanity. The Risen Lord is with us!

The last one I want to mention is that of a widow and mother, Elizabeth Kindelmann, who again was charged with a mission. In the book, The Flame of Love, she writes of her experiences of Jesus and Mary in the early 1960’s. Jesus directs her prayer life, giving her specific intentions for each day and asks her to spread the awareness of the Flame of Love, the Holy Spirit, which God placed in the Heart of Mary. God wants us to pray that this Flame of Love would come forth from the Heart of Mary upon all nations to blind Satan in this time of tribulation.

These manifest visions are given to some because of a mission God has for them but also as a sign that He is alive and with us – not just with those who see Him but with all of us! Someone’s Presence does not vanish because He is not seen. There are countless souls who may not see Him in a vision but are given the grace to be aware of His Risen Presence with them. The Risen Jesus remains in our world and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is the Living Sign of that Presence. Ask for the grace to be aware of His Presence with you. Desire it and ask for it in a true Ignatian Spirit of Prayer. The next time you receive Him in Holy Communion allow the glorious Presence of the Risen Christ fill you with overflowing joy.