Today is the feast of Corpus Christi and in many villages and towns there will be local processions to mark this special feast day.

Thought on Sunday – June – 22/06/2014

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty called ‘Presence’

Some videos doing the rounds of social media recently showed young people who had emigrated abroad returning home for a surprise visit to family members and friends. Their sudden, unexpected presence reduced their loved ones to tears, laughter, and the odd bout of swearing! There is no substitute for the presence of a loved one, in spite of how easy it is to stay in touch these days with the help of email, instant messaging and video chats. ‘It’s like you’re in the next room’ is just not the same as a hug and some real live company.

We recognise the importance of the presence of our loved ones. But when this same word, ‘presence’, is used to talk about Christ in the Eucharist, we are not so sure what it means. We know of course that Jesus was present with his followers during his earthly life, and that he was present with them again after he rose from the dead. But it didn’t all end after he ascended into heaven. We, too, have the gift of Christ’s presence. We are not getting by on memories and stories. He is really present to us in the Eucharist.