WE Are the Body

“In every society the constituent individuals are united, as are also the members of a body, to effect a common end; while the parts they severally play correspond to the functions of the bodily organs. They form a moral unity. This, of course, is true of the Church, but the Church has also a unity of a higher order; it is not merely a moral but a mystical body. This truth, that the Church is the mystical body of Christ, all its members being guided and directed by Christ the head, is set forth by St. Paul in various passages.”  —Catholic Encyclopedia

 

God has called each of us to be a part of His church.  To build it up and keep it alive.  We aren’t the future of the Church, we are the Church.  Right now.  And as the Church, we are the body of Christ.  Think about it, Christ came to earth and showed us how to act and how to live and love one another.  Now that He is no longer physically on earth, the responsibility of sharing his love and building up His church falls to us, his disciples.  He is not here in person, but He is embodied in each of us.

We become His arms, reaching out to those in need.

We become His hands, healing the sick and the brokenhearted.

We become His voice, teaching others of God’s love.

But if we are the body, why aren’t His feet going?  Why is His love not showing them there is a way?  What is holding us back and keeping us from living the way that God wants us to?

That’s what God calls us to do.  To go out and teach our peers.  To set an example for our friends at school and show them that Jesus is the way.

John 15:7-12 says “Christ is the center and source of life to whom all are united, and Who endows each one with gifts fitting him for his position in the body.  These graces, through which each is equipped for his work, form it into an organized whole, whose parts are knit together as though by a system of ligaments and joints.”  This means that God has given each of us our own talents so that we can go out and do what He has called us to do.  We are all talented.   Each and every one of us.  Our talents are different, but they are what make us unique.  They set us apart from the rest of the crowd.  Thy give us each our own value and potential.  And most importantly, they give us the ability to go out and do whatever God asks of us.  But the thing is, as humans, we seem to be programmed to see the talents and beauty of everyone else, but blind to our own qualities.

God also calls us to help one another see our place in this body of Christ.  We have to be here for each other in times of need and support one another.  To help each other thrive spiritually and emotionally.

I mean, yeah, we can always choose to live in our own little world and not worry about the people around us, but what kind of life is that?  Would you rather be looked at as the person that is always cold and self absorbed or someone that is always willing to go out of their way to make others happy?

The choice is always yours.