CREATED FOR COMMUNION
Communion in the Body of Christ
Parishioners from St . Mary Catholic Church at Royal Oak , March 2020 .
Dr . Mary Healy
On that unforgettable day on the road to Damascus , Saul of Tarsus heard the question that struck his heart like a thunderbolt : “ Saul , Saul , why are you persecuting me ?” He could have replied , “ O Lord , of course I ’ m not persecuting you , just your followers .” But he understood . In fact , he was blind for three days as the full truth sank in : Jesus is alive , and he is one with all those who believe in him . So much so that it is as if when you stomp on a man ’ s foot , his head cries out in pain .
Paul ’ s letters show the fruit of his reflections on this mystery : the Church is the body of Christ . This is not a mere metaphor or poetic figure of speech . It is a mystical reality . Christ is the head , and Christians are physically joined to him through Baptism and the Eucharist . We are his body , his visible , audible , and tangible presence on earth .
This truth has enormous implications for life within the parish .
Hearts Knit Together in Love
Luke describes the daily life of the earliest Christian community this way : “ They devoted themselves to the apostles ’ teaching and the fellowship , to the breaking of bread and the prayers ” ( Acts 2:42 ). The Greek word for “ fellowship ” is koinōnia , which means interpersonal communion , a close bond of mutual love and support , even to the point of sharing goods . Not coincidentally , it is the same word used for Holy Communion . The Eucharist was the high point of a community life of deep mutual love , animated by the Holy Spirit , and concretely expressed in acts of humble service to one another .
Such fellowship was a remarkable novelty in the ancient world . The early Church consisted of people who never previously would have dreamed of associating with one another : Jews and Gentiles , aristocrats and slaves , morally upright people , and people who had been mired in sexual disorder . Yet in Christ they formed deep bonds of affection as brothers and sisters . Such love was a powerful witness to the gospel and an antidote to the loneliness and alienation that was common in the ancient world as it is today .
But that koinōnia did not always come easily , any more than it does for us . Paul realized he needed to pray constantly for the Christians , that their hearts might be “ knit together in love ” ( Col 2:2 ). He reminds them , “ Love one another with brotherly affection ; outdo one another in showing honor ” ( Rom 12:10 ). He teaches that this love is not just an emotion , nor
2 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring 2021