We are the body of Christ…

Last week we celebrated the Conversion of St Paul. En route to Damascus to round up the followers of a troublesome new sect, a young man named Saul was knocked decisively off his course, stunned by a light from heaven. When he came to his senses, he no longer wanted to persecute Christians, but instead sought baptism, taking the name Paul - and the rest is history. A voice accompanied the blinding flash: what did it say? Intriguingly, not “Saul, why are you trying to destroy my organisation?” or even “why do you hate my friends so much?” but “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” and, just in case he missed the point: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”. Ever since, Christians have wrestled with the implications - in every encounter with our brothers and sisters, in all our own joys and sufferings, we are meeting no one less than Jesus himself.

Here are some words from Caryll Houselander, a 20th century English laywoman, a poet, artist, mystic and therapist, to help us reflect on both the consolation and the challenge of belonging to Christ’s body the Church.

The meaning of the Mystical Body of Christ is that Christ lives in all Christians. In some he is newly born. In some he is a child. In some he is homeless. In some he is ignored, unrecognised, mocked, betrayed. In some he is hungry in some he is naked, in some he is helpless. He remains being tempted in all those who are tempted: in those who are in mortal sin, he is in the tomb. We should never come to a sinner without the reverence that we would take to the Holy Sepulchre. Pilgrims have travelled on foot for years to kiss the Holy Sepulchre, which is empty. In sinners we can kneel at the tomb in which the dead Christ lies.

(from The Reed of God 1944)

In those who have received him in Holy Communion, Christ goes among whom he will, to whatever places he chooses to be in: with little children he goes into the schoolroom, with office-workers to the office; with shop assistants to the shop…Not only priests, but doctors and nurses and the paper-sellers in hospitals take him to the sick and the dying; to patients who have forgotten God. Not only the military chaplain but common soldiers take him into the barracks and into battle. In their comrades, Christ marches side by side with boys who have never been told about his love.

(from The Passion of the Infant Christ 1949)

Sr Ann

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