The concept, In Persona Christi, meaning in the person of Christ, is taught to Catholics in the early days of youth. When administering the sacraments, the priest is acting in the person of Christ, a grace given to him as a minister of Christ through the hand of the bishop when he is ordained a priest (see CCC 1548-1551). As we age, we have opportunities to experience the depth of what that can mean as we feel the character traits of Christ expressed through our priests and Christ’s love for us made real. His charity is often highlighted as we travel the journey of motherhood.
A few years back, I was having a week. The chaos of being a mom of four had drained me, and I was making mom choices that were less than desirable. My patience was running short and my quick tongue running rampant. One of my daughters and I had been butting heads and I was shamefully rude and unjust in doling out consequences. I longed for an end to the madness that had come into my home. I needed some grace! I needed the sacrament of Confession.
As hard as it was to admit fault, I knew the renewal that Penance and Reconciliation provided. So, with a heavy heart, I hung my head and headed to the church. As I lugged open the heavy door of the church, the confessional loomed in the dark corner. The priest stood in the shadows, meeting me with a smile and warm greeting. As I sat in the confessional divulging my sins and struggles with my daughter, I squirmed in my seat. I longed for forgiveness but was laden with shame. I felt defeated and unworthy of forgiveness. As I concluded the list of offenses against Our Lord, I raised my eyes to catch a quick glimpse of the priest. He met my gaze, smiled, and softly assured me with the astonishing words, “All I see is love.”
“Love?” My mind raced. “Had he heard what I confessed?” He had, in fact, been listening. The priest went on to gently talk through the sins I had disclosed and explained how he saw my motivations based in love. After receiving a minimal penance, I choked out the words of the Act of Contrition, expressing my deep sorrow. Then, the priest concluded by absolving me of my sins, In Persona Christi. In that moment, I knew, in the depths of my soul, of Christ’s great mercy and forgiveness. This priest had poured out the love of Christ through the sacrament of Confession. I felt Christ’s loving embrace. The priest shed a new light on the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe, “A single act of love makes the soul return to life.”
Saint Paul instructs the apostles in their call as priests to encourage others to reconcile with Christ. “namely; God was reconciling himself to the world in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20. Christ desires for us to come to Him and be renewed.
A few months later, I had another experience with the same priest, as he distributed the Eucharist. I reached the front of the church to receive Communion and was utterly shocked as I gazed into the eyes of Christ himself. Overwhelmed with emotion, I was gasping and teary. The clearest, most piercing, blue eyes I had ever seen looked back at me, peering into my soul. I knew immediately that Christ was administering Communion to me. I could hardly utter, “Amen,” as the Eucharist, Christ himself, was laid on my tongue. With tears welling in my eyes, I walked away amazed at the gift I had received. A witness a true miracle, the Lord wanted me to see that Christ was giving himself to me and for me. (This priest’s eyes were naturally brown.) The Lord God had revealed to me again the priest acting in the person of Christ.
Jesus is truly present with us here on earth. God gave us our priests to be Christ’s continued presence in the world. They act in the person of Christ but also in his nature, exhibiting His tenderness and care. By God’s grace, they are capable of transmitting the great love of Christ in and through the sacraments. They reach the depths of our beings, transforming us with Christ’s love and mercy. “The priest is the sign and instrument of God’s merciful love for the sinner.” CCC 1465.
The total envelopment of unconditional love I felt as I encountered Christ in my parish priest was unprecedented. Christ was presented as a man abounding in love and mercy, pouring out himself for me, but also meeting me in my sorrow and brokenness. I did not need to come to him as someone other than the broken woman I was and am. His consoling, loving gaze was transmitted through the priest, reaching the depths of my soul. If you would like to truly understand the intricacies of the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, I encourage you to crack open your Catechism of the Catholic Church. (CCC 1420-1498, Penance & Reconciliation and CCC 1322-1419, Eucharist)
My prayer for you is that you too are able to experience the realness of Christ present in our priests. May the Lord touch your heart and massage His mystical healing balm into your being. May He bring you to a deeper union with him through the gracious gift of our priests and the sacraments.
Call to Act: Is there a sacrament the Lord has been calling you to? Is He asking you to come to Him with a particular area of concern? Where do you need to experience Christ transforming love? Where do you need His healing balm? I encourage you, sister, to make use of the sacraments. Allow Christ to fill you with His graces, love, and mercy. Pray for the grace to be able to experience Christ’s true presence in your priest.
St. Maximiliian Kolbe, pray for us that we may feel the depths of Christs love and mercy through our priests. Ask the Lord to give priests the courage to love as only Christ can love and pour themselves out for the Church, sacrificing what they must for love of Christ. Beg the Lord to open our hearts to allow us to see Christ in our priests and experience His true presence in the sacraments. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe
St. Maximilian Kolbe was born in 1894 in Poland. Around the age of ten, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and offered him two crowns, a red crown of martyrdom and a white crown of chastity. He accepted both. St. Maximilian was confident he would become a priest. He joined the Franciscan Order when he was just sixteen. As a student, he founded the Militia Immaculatae Catholic Evangelization Movement and later began publishing a monthly magazine, Knight of the Immaculata that was distributed to a million people monthly. St. Maximilian relied on Mary’s protection as he spread the word about total consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary. “Through the Immaculata to Jesus” was his motto. Despite being diagnosed with Tuberculosis shortly after being ordained a priest, his battle with his health did not seem to slow him down. Near the end of his life, when was in Poland running the publishing company he has established, Poland was invaded by the Nazis and Kolbe was put in Auschwitz death camp. While in the concentration camp, he ministered to the needs of the prisoners and offered to take the place another prisoner who was going to be put to death due to another man escaping. St. Maximilian Kolbe died in 1941 at the hands of the Nazis. Read more about him here: https://kolbeshrine.org/about-saint-maximilian