Jesus' Corporate Healing Presence

When pondering our personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist at Mass, we should not lose sight of the fact that the Eucharist is also a societal encounter where God’s transforming power is available to us corporately as alluded to in previous articles. The Christian community can be compared to burning coals. When separated from each other, one after the other is easily extinguished. But when gathered together, the fire of one tends to preserve that of another, and the glowing coals sometimes ignite others that would otherwise remain unlit.

Jesus’ own love should burn in the hearts of the faithful. This is the core of his words to us, “Abide in my love.” St. Paul prayed for the “abiding” spiritual presence within the worshipping community when he wrote: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 15:5-6), NAB, emphasis added). Jesus’ “abiding” presence in a worshiping community was first manifested right after his resurrection in the eucharistic “breaking of the bread” with the disciples at Emmaus as recounted in Luke 24.

But a true Christian community is not just a crowd of people or a juxtaposition of bodies. The group must be gathered “in his name” in a dynamic of loving concord in order for Christ to truly dwell in that group. In 2 Corinthians 6:15-16 (NAB), Paul points out the need not just for assembling but also for loving harmony among believers, who constitute “the temple of the living God.” And to excite the expectancy of God’s communitarian presence, he quotes the Lord’s promise in Leviticus 26:12: “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (RSV). This kind of unity is essential to Christian gatherings, especially among people who are looking for Jesus’ presence to be manifested in divine healings.

In Old Testament times, King David took special delight in glorifying God in the assembly gathered together for worship. The many psalms, or religious songs, he composed attest to this great joy. Addressing the God who is enthroned in the praises of his people, David sings, “In the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (Ps 22:22b). He proclaims his resolve to exalt God in the congregation in Psalm 57:10b: “I will chant your praise among the nations.”

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews quotes David’s psalm: “I will proclaim your name to my brothers, in the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (Heb 2:12, NAB). In doing so, he puts this periscope into a New Testament context, presumably at a gathering where the Eucharist is being celebrated.

The promise of the Lord’s presence among his people is fulfilled each time the congregation joins together in doctrinal “harmony” by faith. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the perfect gathering to “continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb 13:15, NAB). This is particularly true when praise of God is “harmonized” in music, for as St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice.” God’s word urges us to “sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful” (Ps 149:1), as well as to “praise the Lord in his sanctuary” (Ps 150:1).

Scripture also tells us this harmony in music is a two-way street: “the Lord, your God, is in your midst….He will sing joyfully because of you” (Zep 3:17, NAB). Hence, St. Paul urges us to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16; see also Ephesians 5:19 and James 5:13). It is significant that Paul makes two references to joining together in song “with thankful hearts” or “in gratitude,” in light of the fact the Greek word eucharistia means thanksgiving.

Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord “clings” to his people as a whole (and not just as individual persons) for praise and honor (see Jeremiah 13:11). When he is praised and honored in a devout and worshipful Mass, his presence becomes the focus which effects the exercise of his healing power among his people. In the words of the Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (3c, 3d), “The celebration of the Eucharist which takes place at Mass is the action not only of Christ, but also of the Church….Hence no Mass, indeed no liturgical action, is a purely private action.”

This excerpt is from the book The Healing Power of the Eucharist, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Books, an imprint of St. Anthony Messenger Press. This and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.