Sacrament of Unity

June 24, 1984

Scriptures 1 Cor. 10:16-17

The Eucharist is communion with the Lord; therefore also Communion with the Whole Body. "We, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."

We must note here very carefully that Christian brotherhood has its source in Christ. It is only as we are joined with him in Baptism that we all together become his body, members of one another. And therefore, the only way to achieve Christian brotherhood and community is to grow more intimately in our union with Christ.

Even we, Christians, are sometimes tempted to think that just by sharing our lives, doing things together, having better communications, we will achieve better community or family life.

While all that is good and necessary, it is not enough if it not inspired by our love of Christ. Which means that we can have Christian brotherhood and community (a good marriage, too), only as we deepen our relationship with Christ himself: he is the one who makes us one. If we deplore disunity in our community, in our family, we must question our relationship with Christ and start working on that. He is our unity. Let us not focus on externals, persons, wrongdoings, failures; go to the source. Ask forgiveness of Jesus; renew our relationship, our prayer life with him: He is the source of our unity.

Christ makes us one, as we become members of his Body; as we love him, the whole Christ, head and members; as we treat one another as brothers and sisters because we see Jesus in one another.

See the first Christians in Jerusalem, as we read about them in the Book of Acts. What brought them together? What led them to share their lives, even their material goods with one another? Why did they pray together everyday, and together celebrate the Eucharist, and gather around the Apostles to receive spiritual instruction? Not just a human attraction, good fellowship, etc., but the love of Jesus. So it must be with us. We are one IN CHRIST.

While Baptism unites us all in Christ, the Eucharist is always there available to perfect and strengthen the union of all Christians in the one Body of Christ.

But then, we must live out that brotherhood that has its source in Jesus. We must reach out in love to those who have become Brothers and Sisters. "Whatever you do to these, the least of mine, you do it to me."

We must strive to live at peace with one another. "If you come to present your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your offering there, go first and be reconciled with your brother; then you can present your offering to the Lord who will accept it."

We must be ready to lay down our life for our brothers and sisters, as Jesus did for all of us. "How can one say that he loves God whom he does not see, if he does not love his neighbor whom he sees?"

In a few minutes I will take the bread and wine and offer these to you as the Body and Blood of Christ. "Take and eat, take and drink; this is for you," Jesus says.

We might imagine Jesus saying to us, “This Eucharist will be completed only when you in turn do the same for those you meet today. Only when you say to them, ‘Take and eat and drink of my life, of my love and care for you.’”

Only when you do that will you have truly celebrated Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ.

Sermons on the Eucharist Index