Donna M. Cole

Encounters with Christ

In a recent conversation with a friend in ministry, I remarked that the scary part of what we do isn't coming upon the empty tomb. The scary part is in turning and walking away from that empty tomb. We are tempted to remain there and wait, holding onto the threads of the familiar. We may embrace the emptiness as our own, desiring God to fill it. We may stand there confident that new life is ours, strong in the knowledge that our battle is won. Truly we are invited into all of that, such is the great gift of our faith. Most of us, though, cannot stay there, for we are called to travel down the path of ordinary life that takes us through sickness and grief, fear, violence, indifference, and so many other dimensions of our human condition. We must find the way to connect all of these things so that in our suffering as well as in our joy, we encounter Christ in one another. This calls us to act deliberately. When we seek other dimensions to our spirituality, we must seek retreat in a way that is meaningful so that our inner selves are open to Christ. We have to seek out the Christ in the strangers we meet, in the difficult people who challenge us, in the busy, crowded times that are so different from the tomb moments. We must immerse ourselves in the larger Body of Christ so that when we fall, we are able to let others hold us up. From that weakness we gain the strength to be fully present to those who most crave Christ's presence.

This issue explores some of the ways we encounter that presence. By prayer and through our worship experience, we constantly strive to enter into the holy. Paul Colloton speaks of the relationship between prayer and liturgy and how both form us to celebrate in a more complete way. Understanding the need to nurture that prayer life and inner sense of presence, Jean Marie DuHamel offers a model of the retreat experience that develops the concept beyond what is ordinarily offered in a parish setting. Reflecting on the story of Emmaus, Mary Amore considers hospitality, sacred Scripture, eucharistic meal sharing, and evangelization as pathways along which we may come to recognize Christ. Leisa Anslinger writes of the importance of forming and gathering community as an ongoing effort of building identity as a people in Christ. Delving into our understanding of the paschal mystery, Roc O'Connor explores how we engage the living reality of that mystery in many different ways.

That mystery calls us to step out into the unknown and to seek God in unexpected times and places. In that mystery is courage to leave behind what is secure to discern and discover where our next steps will take us. Through that mystery is the clarity that oftentimes comes with endurance, the compassion learned through injustice and vision forged by obstruction. Striving to live attuned to God's presence, we ready ourselves for that graced moment when we become more fully aware of the action of that presence. May our hearts burn within us as we work to better form our communities, to develop our retreat experiences, to offer more selfless service, to pray and worship with fuller commitment. In doing so, may we fearlessly walk away from the tomb to encounter the living Lord. ML

We're Still Green: ML remains a "Paper Hero" on Green America's Paper Project website (www.coopamerica.org/programs/woodwise/publishers/heroes/index.cfm) because it is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

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