Our Holy Father Andrew the Jerusalemite, Archbishop of Crete (740); Venerable Martha, Mother of the Holy Simeon of the “Mountain of Wonders”
Romans 12:4-5, 15-21; Matthew 12:9-13
Read Romans 12:4-5, 15-21
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
We are all members of the one Body of Christ and “individually members one of another.” Think about that for a moment.
St. Paul is very clear throughout all his letters that this unity in the Body of Christ is not metaphorical but very real. It is a unity founded and bounded in the Mysteries of Initiation (baptism, chrismation, and eucharist) and goes by another well-known moniker, the Communion of the Saints. The words and actions of one member of the Body affects the rest of the Body.
In 1990, I had a chance, by God’s grace, to visit Ukraine for just over a month while it was still behind the iron curtain. It was a time of transition for the Church, coming out of the underground, and for the State, as it declared sovereignty and eventually independence. On the first Sunday in Lviv, we went to the Church of the Holy Transfiguration, the first parish to declare itself Catholic again (by praying publicly for the Holy Father). I made my way up to the choir loft to see the whole church interior, and to try to sing with the bass section (they were extremely welcoming to my presence). During the homily, I noticed in the far right corner a priest over someone, with his epitrachilion over their head. And then it happened for another, and another. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, I asked one of my confreres what was happening in that corner of the church and he responded: Oh, that was Confession.
My heart and mind were blown away. I had always experienced Confession in a confessional. Here, it was in the open (with people far away enough so as not to hear the actual confession of sins). I had just witnessed members of the Body of Christ being healed by the Lord through the ministry of this priest. I was elated. The being members of each other that St. Paul writes about not only appealed to mind intellect, it was also visceral. It became an impetus for me to desire more for the life of holiness to which the Lord calls us. It became a source of reflection and helped to guide me to be guarded in my words and actions so that I seek to uplift my brothers and sisters in Christ – to chase virtue.
I encourage us to pause today and think about this. We are all members of the one Body of Christ and “individually members one of another.”