For a college freshman, one of the quintessential experiences of dorm life is hanging out late into the evening with people you’ve just met, talking about anything and everything. These conversations are somehow transcendental – they take us out of ourselves as we encounter the people with us, and the world around slips away.
As we grow older and late nights are avoided for the sake of surviving the next day, these late-night conversations with new friends are replaced with coffee meet-ups and cocktail conversations with friends, both old and new. While it can be harder to put aside the distractions, we can still have those engaging and life-giving conversations by listening fully and sharing vulnerably with our trusted companions.
The Eucharistic Revival’s Year of Mission is underway and the first pillar is Eucharistic Encounter. Our first step in being on mission for Christ and his Church is to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist.
The word “encounter” might seem like a strange one at first glance; an encounter seems like it would be temporary or fleeting, like bumping shoulders with a stranger on a busy street. Encountering our Lord is nothing like this – it is more like the late-night conversations with friends where two people see each other and are brought outside of themselves.
A true encounter is transformative and life-changing, especially when that encounter is with Jesus who perfectly sees us and shares himself entirely with us. Even in the brief encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus saw her, knew her, loved her, and transformed her.
Our lives as Christians must be rooted in Christ Jesus himself, and we must continually be returning to the source of our life and our hope. There are limitless ways that each of us can encounter Christ, but it is important that we make this a priority and that our schedules reflect the importance of our relationship with Jesus.
For some of us, finding this time might be easier or more natural because of schedules and life state – for myself, my toddler makes finding any time (let alone quiet time) extraordinarily difficult, but my husband and I have found ways to incorporate prayer as a family and coordinate so that we can each have some quiet moments for prayer. Creating this time for prayer takes patience and persistence but is crucial for maintaining our spiritual well-being.
We encounter Jesus in the Eucharist most notably at Mass when we receive Holy Communion. Pope Benedict XVI is quoted in the Eucharistic Revival’s “Year of Mission Playbook” as saying, “Indeed, we do not merely receive something in the Eucharist. It is the encounter and unification of persons.”
Jesus has invited us to encounter him so profoundly and intimately that we become one with him. We develop our Eucharistic identity by allowing our encounter with Jesus to transform us and make us more like him.
For those of us who have access, the best way to continue our encounter with Jesus is by taking time in front of the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic adoration. In adoration, we have the opportunity to gaze upon Jesus and love him; we also have the opportunity to intentionally invite him to gaze upon us. Jesus always looks upon us in love, and he wants us to receive the love he has to give.
Receiving the love of God is not as easy as it seems: everyone has a past and wounds that shade the way they view themselves. Jesus wants to heal you by loving you.
Every encounter with Christ is transformative. Whether you are at Mass, praying at home with the Gospels, singing praise to the Lord, in silent adoration, or meditating upon the name of Jesus, you are encountering him and he is working in your heart and in your life.
These encounters may seem small or may not seem to be “doing” much of anything, but God works in the quiet and subtle ways as well as in the large and dramatic ways.
Jesus will always bring us new life; all we have to do is continue to return to the well. Whether it’s a late-night impromptu chat with Jesus or a planned encounter at Mass or adoration, time with Jesus is always the first step towards living out our Eucharistic mission.
Laura LaClair has worked for the Diocese of Richmond since 2016 and has served as Associate Director for Campus Ministry since 2021. She is a graduate of William & Mary (B.S. in Mathematics, Government) and St. Joseph’s College in Maine (M.A. in Pastoral Theology). She is a member of the Junior League of Richmond. In her free time, she likes to knit, crochet, and spend time outdoors with her family.