Jesus as Sacrament

Homily for the Feast of Sts. Philip and James

During the Christmas Season, the Prefaces which we pray before the Eucharistic Prayer refer to the fact that the Nativity of Jesus had made it possible for us to see the invisible. Jesus took on our flesh and became a human being as well as a divine being.

The classical definition of a sacrament is an outward sign of grace, instituted by God, through which grace is given to us. Consequently, while we speak of seven sacraments, there is one other that we often do not include in the list of sacraments; namely, Jesus himself. Through Jesus’ very person – his words, teachings, miracles, passion, death, and resurrection – he reveals and makes God present to us that we might encounter God and receive God’s grace. Jesus is the outward sign and manifestation of God’s life.

The understanding of Jesus as a sacrament is reflective of his words in today’s Gospel text from the Gospel of St. John: “Whoever has seen me has seen the father… The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing God’s works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” As the opening words of the Gospel of St. John tell us, some accepted this revelation of God in Christ; others rejected it or had difficulty understanding it.

Philip displays his inability to understand what Jesus is saying. Despite all he had witnessed, Philip still sought more visible proof, a tangible experience of God’s presence. The irony is that what he seeks is exactly what is in front of him. How this irony lightly plays out in our own lives! Whether in something as profound as seeking God in a particular circumstance, or as mundane as looking for the eyeglasses we have stashed on top of our head, God is in our midst in the presence of Jesus. While the mystery of the incarnation makes the invisible visible, unless we have the eyes of faith, we will not be able to see it.

Baptized into the life and death of Jesus, infused with the Holy Spirit, we confess, confirm, and partake of the life of faith – embracing the visible signs of the invisible reality of God’s presence and grace. This is what the Lord wants of us. This is what the Lord intended. This is God’s gift to us.