In the Heart of
the World

Birthed in the Body of Christ at Baptism, gathered together at Eucharist, we never cease to marvel that Christ present in the bread and wine, always giving Himself newly to us, builds the Church as His body and, through His Risen Body united us to God, to the Trinity and to each other.

There gathered together, we celebrate “one body, one spirit, … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:4-6).

The Eucharist reminds us that communion in the Body of Christ extends to all those who have gone before us, those faithful ‘servants of God,’ that vast communion of saints in which Mary, the mother of Jesus is the preeminent member. In that vast communion of saints are our parents, our relatives, our friends who despite their physical absence remain very present to us and whose memory is often an encouragement on our own life journeys.

At Eucharist, the joys, pains and faith journeys of each person present or no longer able to attend due to age or sickness are the threads that weave the fabric of our lives together, making us into a single body. Indeed all creation is present.

Communion in the Body of Christ thus reaches its climax in every Eucharist. Gathered together, we celebrate also the life of Christ in every member knowing that the manner in which Christ’s life becomes visible differs in every person.

The life journey of every Christian is a mysterious process whereby Paul’s words ring true in the depths of our being, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:19-20).

The body of Christ is a body of communion. St. Augustine said “It is your own mystery which is on the table of the Lord… He has consecrated on his table the mystery of our peace and our unity. Therefore, live in communion as brothers and sisters … there resides your Christian identity.”