“He revealed himself in this way…”

We are in the full glow of Easter as this month begins. What has been occupying my mind are the words of John Chrysostom: “He is no longer now where he was; now he is where we are.”

This may explain the words of scripture about how Jesus revealed himself. Now you see him, now you don’t. There is the supper table, then the seashore with breakfast cooking. There is the journey to Emmaus. There are the sudden appearances when they are all gathered together. Are we missing something here?

I don’t think so. Jesus seems to be getting them used to a new way he will be around. No longer the old historical way, but wherever they are. Then this is where we need to expect to find him today too: glimpses; appearances in the darkness of our faith especially when we are with one another.

Our Ministry Assessment this year spotlights our Mission/Charism and Focus Statements. Both call for a kind of presence; in other words, how we appear. So we might ask ourselves, “What kind of presence do I bring among others? How do I appear?”

In Chapter Four of his letter on holiness in today’s world, Frances gives us five expressions that help to flesh this out for us. He writes of being present with an attitude of perseverance, patience and meekness; next he highlights joy and a sense of humor; third he names boldness and passion; finally he locates this in community and in constant prayer. Now this is well and good, you might say. I’ve been working on these for a long time. But it’s a constant battle!

And that it is. It’s a struggle. True to his Jesuit charism, Francis calls for vigilance and discernment. Now discernment can be a loaded word. What is really means is a type of attunement, the way a violinist checks that the strings of a violin are vibrating in tune with one another. Discernment comes from being in tune with the Spirit, not merely my egotistic need. It’s as if my whole soul vibrates in harmony with the Spirit on an issue and it just feels right. It has more to do with feeling than thinking, although once we check if something harmonizes with our prayer, we’d better check if it makes sense.

We make an appearance as surely as the risen Lord did. When we come we shine, we emit a magnetic field, we bring our perseverance, our patience, our meekness; our joy and humor ripple through the room; our boldness and passion pour out in the face of injustice. And make no mistake, the fragrance of our prayer and community compassion also come floating in with us. He assures us, “I am risen and still with you.” He reveals himself in this way. In this way

in him, we too reveal ourselves.