The Body of Christ

Home now, after having to take a three hour detour yesterday because of Cedar Rapids and the devastation from flooding in Eastern Iowa. Please pray for those people.

But I thought one more post was called for.

It has struck me when I'm in the most Christian and selfless communities, those groups of people in full communion with the Catholic Church, such as EWTN, the Southwell Institute, and the American Chesterton Society, that this is how the Church ought to be. In fact, this is how the Church IS.

St. Paul tells us much about the Body of Christ, and I think I'm beginning to understand a little better what he means. The Body of Christ is Christ’s members on earth. He works through us sacramentally in building His Church. The Body of Christ is both Our Lord’s continued presence since the Annunciation and also the beginning of the transformation that culminates in his second coming, which is the Kingdom.

This means that the Body of Christ is holy, and since we are the members of his body, we must become holy; for in holiness there is more than happiness, there is joy. This is why we must all stay in full communion with the Body of Christ, so that we may receive him in communion at the Eucharist and bring him forth to others who are not blessed with full communion in his Church.

And so, Chestertonians, both those who were with us last weekend and those who were not – love our Gilbert, love the Society, love Dale and his writings, love all those wonderful people who make up this blessed group – Geir, Joseph, Fr. Dwight, Ann, Nancy, David, Peter, Dominique, Mary Ashley, Julian, Chuck, Laura, and so many more. We are none of us holy just yet, but when we join a group that serves the Lord, as the ACS does, we are part of Christ’s Body.

May we all strive to stay in full communion with his body, for the one thing that separates us from him is sin. Love one another, flee from sin, and keep serving the Word by reading the words that glorify his name.