Deacon
Tom Writes,
“One
in Christ”
The
devastation caused by natural disasters, the sufferings of those traumatized by
war and famine, the fear on the faces of children with swollen bellies from
hunger and disease we see night after night on the evening news overwhelms our
senses. It is painful to watch these tragedies unfold, for, the truth is, our
minds simply cannot grasp the horrific misery many of our brothers and sisters
in Christ are enduring at this very moment. Consider what the Syrian people have
experienced these many years; try to comprehend that more than eight million
people are on the verge of starvation in war-torn Yemen right now! Imagine what
it is like to lose everything you own in an instant when a tornado rips through
your home. St. Paul tells us the reason we Christians feel the pain that others
are experiencing is because we believe that we are all part of the one Body of
Christ. “If one part suffers,
all the parts suffer with it” St Paul reminds us in
today’s reading. Are we feeling the pain that are brothers and sisters in
Christ are experiencing today?
St. Paul recognized that we are intimately united
with one another when we enter into a relationship with Christ. His experience
while on his way to Damascus to persecute those early followers of Christ
helped formed this understanding. Recall the events of the Acts of the
Apostles, Chapter 9, when Saul was blinded by a bright light and fell to the
ground. He heard a voice say, “Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me”? When Saul asked who was speaking to him,
he heard the response, “I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting”. Saul must have felt confused. He was on a mission to
put an end to the fledgling body of Jesus’ followers, NOT Jesus, who was
already dead. But, after his conversion experience, those same followers Saul
intended to kill would help him to become one of Christ’s greatest witnesses. And
one of his many contributions to our faith is this understanding of the
Mystical Body of Christ that we read today.
Because we Christians believe that we share this
mystical union with one another through Christ, all of us suffer any and each
time someone else suffers physically, mentally, or emotionally, whether the
cause is natural or the result of our own misguided activities. Yes, we are all
aware of the suffering and misery that thrives in our world today. And how are
we as Christians to respond to the afflictions of refugees, or the victims of war…AIDS…poverty…injustice,
etc. that ravage our brothers and sisters in Christ, all of whom we believe are
made in the image and likeness of God?
Certainly financial support is essential for food, medical supplies, and
disease control. These items are most essential. But also, we cannot overlook
our spiritual contributions – prayer, fasting and time spent reflecting on how
the suffering of people around the world is bound up with Our Lord’s redemptive
suffering that frees us from death and restores us to everlasting life. In the
end we need both the material and the spiritual contributions to help alleviate
the suffering of so many people. Doing our small part will help us better
understand ourselves as the mystical body and provide much needed assistance to
those in need. And, therein lies tremendous hope for our broken and troubled
world.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image:
http://religion-cults.com/metanoia/cristo-cuerp-m.jpg
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