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t’s Day 111!!
Today we are taking the next step with another image of the Church
THE CHURCH-BODY OF CHRIST
THE CHURCH IS IN COMMUNION WITH JESUS
If Jesus is THE HEAD and the Church is THE BODY there has got to be some kind of UNITY
There also has to be some kind of LOVE
If we love Christ THE HEAD then we have to love HIS BODY as well
Paragraph 787 says, “From the beginning, Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to them, and gave them a share in his mission, joy, and sufferings. Jesus spoke of a still more intimate communion between him and those who would follow him…”
Jesus shared His life with His disciples
They walked together
They lived together
They had this mission that Jesus extended to them
BUT…
There was a future PROMISE
Paragraph 787 continues, “And he proclaimed a mysterious and real communion between his own body and ours…”
Paragraph 788 says, “When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time…”
This brings up the role and mission of the Holy Spirit
The mission of the Son and the mission of the Spirit are the SAME JOINT MISSION
Because we have been given the Holy Spirit we truly actually and really have communion with Jesus in an even more intense way
Because of the Holy Spirit
WHICH IS AMAZING!!
Paragraph 789 says, “Not only is [the Church] gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body.”
THAT IS SO SO INCREDIBLE!!
Paragraphs 790 and 791 talk about how this body is ONE BODY
It has to be UNITED
It has to be brought together in the UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
It has to be brought together in the UNITY OF THE CREED
It has to be brought together in the UNITY OF WHAT WE PROFESS
There is a diversity here
Paragraph 791 says, “‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’”
There is this POWERFUL FORCE of the Holy Spirit that has taken all these different people from all across the world
This has been the reality of the history of the Church
Every nationality, ethnicity, race, background, language has a UNITY that transcends all these other things and brings us all into ONE because of the power of the Holy Spirit
ONE BODY
So let’s pray!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise. We thank you. We thank you for unity. We thank you for this true oneness. Thank you for extending us not just the teachings of your Son, not just the Salvation of your Son, but thank you for extending to us this union with your Son, this communion with your Son. Thank you for the intimacy that you not only promise but that you bring to us by the gift of your Holy Spirit into our lives. Help us not only to be united more and more fully to your Son, our Lord. Help us to be united even more fully with each other. Lord God, we have been made into your Church. Help us to live as your Church. We have been made brothers and sisters. Help us to live as brothers and sisters. We have been made into one body. Help us to actually be one body. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”
So there we have it!!
GOSH!!
SO GOOD!!
THE CHURCH IS COMMUNION WITH JESUS
Remember that God WILLED
He did not just want us INDIVIDUALLY
Yes there is a PERSONAL relationship that we have been invited into with the Lord
We have been made into sons and daughters of the Father in Heaven
We have been made brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ
We have been made Temples of the Holy Spirit
BUT…
GOD CREATED A PEOPLE!!
God reveals this from the very beginning
Even though He called Abraham INDIVIDUALLY He called Abraham’s FAMILY to belong to Him
From the very beginning God calls a people
God invites us to live in that KINGDOM and calls us to share in this
The disciples had a privileged place
They were able to walk with Jesus
They were able to listen to His voice
They were able to participate in His mission
Jesus sent them out to heal, cast out demons, preach the Gospel in His name
INCREDIBLE!!
AMAZING!!
They got to share a meal with Him
They got to be hugged by Him
INCREDIBLE!!
AMAZING!!
With us, Jesus has an EVEN MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP
Which is kind of hard to imagine
Because His very SPIRIT dwells INSIDE OF US
Because we have actually been TRANSFORMED into His body on earth
He has given us HIS OWN BODY AND BLOOD
We get to abide in him in this UNIQUE WAY
Paragraph 788 says, “When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time; he sent them his Spirit. As a result communion with Jesus has become, in a way, more intense…”
Paragraph 789 says, “Not only is [the Church] gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body.”
The Book of Revelation talks about those in Heaven worshiping gathered around the throne of the Lamb
SO REMARKABLE!!
Paragraph 789 continues, “Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as the head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.”
St. Theresa of Calcutta said, “The reason there is no peace in this world is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
ONE BODY
Paragraph 790 says, “‘In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification.’”
We think of someone speaking as communication
BUT…
The way the Church uses this term doesn’t end with mere speech
It is given and received
Not just words and ideas
BUT THE REALITY!!
The way the life of Christ is handed over to us and is received is through THE SACRAMENTS
Especially Baptism
Baptism brings us and unites us into Christ’s Death and Resurrection
Think about the image of Baptism as that descent into the grave as we go into the waters of Baptism
Then we are brought out of the waters of Baptism as that resurrection
The life of Christ is truly communicated to us through Baptism and through the Eucharist, where we really actually share in the body of the Lord
In the midst of being ONE BODY we have a DIVERSITY
Lumen Gentium from Vatican Council II says in Paragraph 791, “‘In the building up of Christ’s Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church.’”
Every individual is still an individual
We don’t become the HIVE-MIND
What’s that thing from Star Trek? (I have no idea because I’m a STARWARS geek through and through and make no apologies for it. Who would win in a fight? Darth Vader or Captain Kirk?? Nuff said 🤣🤣🤣)
We are not absorbed into the Body of Christ and lose our identity, uniqueness, or giftedness
We place these things at the service of the Lord and the Church
Our uniqueness remains
IN FACT…
The Holy Spirit, which is ONE, also has a DIVERSITY OF GIFTS that are offered to the Church and to the world
When we become a member of this ONE BODY of Christ it is not as if our individuality is erased
IN FACT…
IT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE!!
The life of sin ultimately ultimately all ends up looking the same
Evil is always like that
BUT…
The beauty of the Saints is that EVERY ONE OF THEM LOOKS DIFFERENT
They each have a different aspect to them
They have different gifts that the Holy Spirit has poured out upon them in their lives so they become more and more UNIQUE
They reveal more and more about this ONE SPIRIT that unites us all in the ONE BODY
THIS IS REMARKABLE!!
Remember we belong to each other
We are united in ONE BODY
St. Paul says, “Because of that, if one member suffers anything all the members suffer with him. And if one member is honored all the members together rejoice.”
There is an incredible GIFT about belonging to the Church and being part of the Body of Christ
BUT…
There is also responsibility
Part of that responsibility is that when ONE member suffers we ALL suffer
When ONE member is glorified and honored we ALL are glorified and honored
It means there is no such thing as private sin or private virtue
Even if my sin is never discovered by anyone, my sin wounds me
Since I belong to the Body of Christ, my sin wounds YOU even if no one ever knows about it
People often say how can that be a sin if it didn’t hurt anybody?
They aren’t thinking of the Body of Christ, are they?
Our sins hurt ourselves, so that’s somebody
There is PERSONAL sin but there is no such thing as PRIVATE sin
My PERSONAL sin hurts my family, the Body of Christ, and the Church
It hurts YOU even if you never know about it
Your personal sin, that I may never know about, hurts me
It hurts all those we love and all those we don’t even know
Your virtue and struggle against sin strengthens ME
Even if I never know about it
My struggle for virtue, showing up for prayer, etc, strengthens you as well
It is an incredible mystery
If you find yourself isolated and alone you may think your life does not matter
The Church says that is ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT
Even though you have personal sin, it is not private
It hurts your brothers and sisters
It hurts me
Even though you have personal battles striving for the Lord it strengthens me
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
When you are strengthened it strengthens the rest of us
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
When you fight you are fighting for us
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
When you pray you are praying for all of us
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
That’s why Fr. Mike asks us to pray for each other
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
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