We are the Body of Christ
Many people, even believing Catholics, he considers, that the Church is only a purely human organization founded by Christ. Only the pope matters, bishops and priests. The faithful, on the other hand, play no role, and they treat the baptism certificate as if it were an identity card, which entitles them to use certain services of the Church, e.g.. who is baptized, can go to confession, receive Holy Communion, get married in a church, demand, that one day the priest would be at his funeral, etc..
The Church is the Body of Christ
This issue is discussed in the Letter of St.. Paul to the Corinthians :
“Just as the body is one, though it has many members, and all the members of the body, although they are numerous, they constitute the body, so it is also with Christ. For we were all baptized in one Spirit, (to pose) one body : is it Jews, or the Greeks, are they slaves, or free. We were all drunk with one Spirit too. For the body is not one member, but many (limbs). If the leg said : «Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body »- or consequently does not belong to the body ? Or if the ear said : «Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body »- would it not belong to the body? ? If the whole body was a sight, where would the hearing be? ? Or if the whole body was hearing, where would the smell be? ? But God does, as he wanted, created (different) members placing each of them in the body… that the individual members care for each other. Thus, when one member suffers, all the other members suffer ; likewise, when one member is respected, all the members rejoice. You, therefore, are the body of Christ and individual members " (1 Disease 12, 12-27). St.. Paul compares the Church to a living organism, in which each cell and individual members have their own meaning and fulfill the appropriate role. They are simply indispensable to each other. Christ's Church is a living organism, The body of Christ. In Christ, we create unity, in which there is no division into such, who fulfill a role, and such, who only use it - on such, who are responsible for the Church, and such, who bear no responsibility. We are all responsible for the entire Church and everyone has a role to play in it. We were grafted onto Christ through baptism. We have received the same Holy Spirit. That is why the Church is more than an organization, which services are used.
There are different tasks in the Church, that Christ entrusts to us. He appoints some as bishops, who lead and watch over the Church, so that differences do not detract from unity, to others he gives the gift of the priesthood and teaching, he calls others to found a family and to fulfill the role of a mother in it, father or child. Everyone contributes to the growth of the living organism of the Church through his work.
Since we create one living organism, we are needed and mutually dependent on each other. Therefore, we are all to care for each other and we are responsible for each other. So a Christian cannot limit himself to his own affairs and troubles. He should be interested in other people as much as possible, their homeland and other countries. If there is a need, he should rush to their aid. It is not just a commandment that obliges him to do so, which Christ gave, but most of all a fact, that we are creating His Mystical Body. Everyone is to contribute to the development and perfection of Christ's Body, that is, the Church.
When someone becomes more holy and perfect, then the holiness and perfection of the whole Church grows. But who sins?, is doing wrong, departs from God, this one harms the whole Church and the whole Church suffers because of it, how the whole body suffers, when e.g.. an arm or a leg is ill.
Christ is the Head of the Church - the Mystical Body
The Mystical Body of Christ - Church of St.. we create not only because, that we are united to each other through baptism., but most of all because, that Christ himself in baptism. connects us together. The Church is the fellowship of Christ, in which he himself lives and works. Without him, the Church could not exist, live and act. On, as Head, joins the entire community into one Body and fills it with the riches of his Deity. He wants to make everyone similar to himself and to bring the whole community to full union with the Father. He also in his body - in the Church of St., continually distributes gifts, that we may better help each other to attain salvation. Christ unites us, your Mystical Body, by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is in Christ and in us. The Holy Spirit is like the soul of the Mystical Body of Christ. It is difficult for us to understand the union of baptized people with each other and with Christ into one body. Each of us remains ourselves. He neither loses his freedom in proceedings, nor your mind, nor your body. But all together, together with Christ, we create His Body. Hence this union, shrouded in mystery to us, we call it "Mystical (full of secrets) The body of Christ ".
How will I answer God ?
When you listen to the teachings of St.. Paul about the Church, idea, that through the baptism of St.. Christ has included you in his Mystical Body. You are very closely united with Him and with other people.
By participating in each Mass. - in the Eucharist, when you receive the body of the Lord, you strengthen your unity with others and with Christ. Do you remember that ? Do you try to be more perfect in your daily life, that the whole Church may become more perfect ?
I will pray for an ever greater unity among Christians with each other and with Christ : "Take a look, please, at the sacrifice of your Church, acknowledge, that it is the same victim, through which you wanted to reconcile us with yourself. Make it happen, that we, nourished by the Body and Blood of Your Son and filled with the Holy Spirit, may become one body and one soul in Christ " (Eucharistic Prayer III).
■ Think:
1. Like St.. Paul calls the church in 1 Corinthians ?
2. Why are members of the Church responsible for one another ?
3. As St.. Paul the role of Christ ?
4. Who is like the soul of the Mystical Body ?
■ Remember:
54. Who makes up the Mystical Body of Christ, that is, the Church ?
The Mystical Body of Christ, that is, the Church, they are made up of Christ and all people united to him by faith and baptism.
■ Task :
1. From which Eucharistic Prayer the above prayer is taken ? Compare, as this truth is expressed by the other three Eucharistic Prayers ?
2. Idea, for which you are already responsible in the Church today ?