We are the ‘Body of Christ’ when we love others

By Charlotte Phillips
NOLA Catholic Parenting

This weekend, Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. As you read or listen to this Sunday’s readings, you may notice parallels in Deuteronomy and the Gospel of John.

For example in Deuteronomy 8:3, we hear Moses reminding the Israelites that God provided them manna from heaven in the desert to sustain them. In John 6:51, we hear Jesus say, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”

But, what does this mean for us today in 2023?

I think today’s second reading helps to clarify this. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us: “Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Though we are many, when we come together to celebrate the mystery of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we join together and “are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”

How are we called to be the body of Christ? We have a great teacher and model in Jesus! While Jesus is fully divine, Jesus’ fully human body did many things we are called to do today.

As parents, we, like Jesus, teach and provide a model for our children to follow. We teach our children to be kind and loving to others. We teach our children to treat others with respect. Educators, coaches, den leaders and club leaders are also like Jesus, teaching and providing a model for our children to be better students, athletes and leaders in our community.

We are the body of Christ when we love one another. We can show love to our children, partners, family, friends and neighbors. We can show love to one another by donating food to our local food pantry, providing diapers for those without and by holding the door open when someone’s hands are full. When we show God’s love to others, we are the body of Christ.

We are the body of Christ when we care for those who are sick. As parents, we care for our children when they have a cold and tend to their scraped knees with a kiss and band aid. We care for our children when we take them to the doctor when the care is beyond our skills so that others, like Jesus, can care for them. We care for our sick parents and elderly grandparents when making difficult decisions about their medical care. We care for the sick in our communities when we prepare a meal for our neighbor after surgery or losing a loved one.

We are the body of Christ when we suffer. When hurricanes hit and destroy our homes, we can find comfort and strength from Jesus who knows what it is like to suffer. When a loved one dies from sickness or violence, we are still the body of Christ through our pain and suffering. We can model the suffering Jesus, turning our suffering to God who strengthens us and gives us hope.

We can teach one another, love one another, care for one another and suffer with one another because we are not alone.

When we come together each week to celebrate Jesus offering himself to us completely in the gift of the Eucharist, we not only nourish ourselves with the bread of eternal life, but “because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Charlotte Phillips lives in New Orleans with her husband, Kevin, and their four children. She has a bachelor of arts in theology and a master of pastoral studies from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. Charlotte enjoys Mardi Gras, listening to live music and spending time with her family.