Really Present - Henri Nouwen

Another thought from Henri Nouwen:

Really Present

Where is Jesus today? Jesus is where those who believe in him and express that belief in baptism and the Eucharist become one body. As long as we think about the body of believers as a group of people who share a common faith in Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus remains an inspirational historical figure. But when we realise that the body Jesus fashions in the Eucharist is his body, we can start to see what real presence is. Jesus, who is present in the gifts of his Body and Blood, becomes present in the body of believers that is formed by these gifts. We who receive the Body of Christ become the living Christ.

Deepening the Passage of Baptism - Henri Nouwen

Deepening the Passage of Baptism

In and through the celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus' death and resurrection become a reality for us here and now. As we eat and drink from the Body and Blood of Christ, our mortal bodies become united with the risen Christ. Thus our deaths, like Jesus' death, means not destruction but passage to new life.

In this way the Eucharist deepens and strengthens in us the passage that we first made through baptism. The Eucharist is the sacrament that allows us to appropriate fully our baptismal grace.

Strings

I related to this cartoon at "The Naked Pastor."

Today

Last night was again a "weird" night of sleep. Good to be in my own bed, but odd and interrupted. And yet, my heart is quiet this morning. It's at rest, and yet wandering the globe.

Today my heart is praying:

• for a dear friend whom "the water knows"
• for someone celebrating a birthday
• for my uncle and his family as they grieve the death of a loved one
• for a long-time friend who is waiting for some changes to finally happen
• for two sets of friends starting out on the journey of married life
• for a new friend who works with broken young people
• for a much loved and missed friend on the other side of the world (and her fiancee who is waiting for her here)
• for a little boy who often greets me with "I ike you"
• for a number of dear friends facing uncertainty
• for one who is walking the other way
• for the healing and restoration of relationships
• that arms that long for children would be filled
• that hands and a voice that were filled with music would no longer be silenced
• for the "coming joy"
• for sabbatical, rest, and the shift into the things that make our hearts come alive
• for Canada, as we vote today, and select those who will govern for the next season
• for a gentler winter
• for eyes and ears and hearts
• for friends scattered and relationships broken
• for a soldier and his family