The Feast of the Body of Christ and Global Justice
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| Procession in our parish in the Philippines |
As we approach the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ on Sunday, June 25, I thought recent words of the Holy Father was worth sharing:
“Thus the Eucharist, while uniting us to Christ, also opens us to others, makes us limbs of one another: no longer are we divided but a single being in Him”, the Pope added. “Eucharistic communion unites me to my neighbour with whom perhaps I am not even on good terms, but it also unites me to my distant brothers and sisters all over the world.
Those who recognise Jesus in the consecrated Host recognise Him in their suffering brothers and sisters, in the hungry and thirsty, in the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned; they are attentive to everyone and take concrete steps to help those in need. From the gift of Christ’s love arises our special responsibility as Christians to build a united, just and fraternal society. Particularly in our own time in which globalisation makes us increasingly dependent upon one another, Christianity can and must ensure that unity is not built without God – in other words, without real Love – which would only open the way to confusion and selfishness”.
Benedict XVI continued: “The Gospel has always sought the unity of the human family, a unity not imposed from above or by ideological or economic interests, but based on a sense of responsibility towards each other, because we recognise one another as members of the same body, the Body of Christ, because we have learned and continue to learn from the Sacrament of the Altar that sharing and love is the way to true justice”.
What does the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ mean to you? How have you felt Christ prodding you to reach out to others? Just click comments and let us know!
