The Five P’s of the Catholic
Abstracted from Father Thomas Keating’s Book, “The Mystery of Christ”
A few “Mysteries of Christ” are:
1. Jesus became “absent” so He could be more “present”
2. Jesus died so we could live.
3. Jesus gave up His Spirit on the Cross so we
could receive His Spirit at
So….What are the Five P’s of the Catholic Mass?
What are five whys that Jesus becomes progressively more “present” to us in the Catholic Mass?
P1 First, as we come together for Mass, we understand Jesus’ words “when two or more are gathered in my name, I am Present”.
P2 Next, when we read the scriptures at Mass, we understand that Jesus becomes Present through his Word.
P3 Then, the Priest calls down Jesus’ Spirit to be even more Present in the Gifts, the Gifts become the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus becomes Present in the Gifts.
P4 Next, we choose to take the gifts of bread and wine into our bodies where Jesus then becomes physically Present to each one of us individually.
P5 Finally, as we all go forth at the end of the Mass, Jesus becomes Present to the whole world in the form of “The Mystical Body of Christ.” Jesus becomes universally Present.
The Catholic Mass – Five progressive steps for making Jesus more Present.
By Hugh Owen O’Donnell,