[Sundaycommunity] Corpus Christi: the Underlying Unity of the Human Family

[Jean Leahy]

Thank you Art.

Blessings,
Jean

On Thu, May 30, 2024 at 2:15 PM Arthur Blomme via Sundaycommunity <
sundaycommunity at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:

> Hello All
>
> I know this reflection is being published in Peoples Progress.  I do  want
> to get this message out to a larger audience so I am republishing the
> reflection in case you don't get a chance to read Peoples Progress.
>
> Art
>
>
> Corpus Christi: the Underlying Unity of the Human Family
>
> Arthur Blomme, May 30 2024
>
>
>
> This Sunday, we gather to reflect on a profound metaphor that is presented
> to us in the Epistles of Paul, the Gospels and contemporary mystics like
> Teilard de Chardin: the Body of Christ.
>
> The apostle Paul uses the analogy of the body of Christ extensively in his
> Epistles to teach that the church is not confined to walls or borders. It
> is universal, encompassing all of humanity. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul
> writes, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one
> body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one
> Spirit to drink.” This passage calls us to a radical inclusivity, where no
> one is excluded from the love of Christ.
>
> Later in Corinthians Paul reminds us that just as the eye cannot say to
> the hand, “I don’t need you,” we cannot dismiss the value of others who are
> members in the same body.
>
> Inclusivity is not merely a suggestion; it is a mandate. In Galatians
> 3:28, we read, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,
> nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Our
> unity in Christ transcends all earthly divisions, calling us to embrace
> every person as a cherished member of the Body of Christ.
>
> This theme of radical inclusivity also permeates all four Gospels.  We
> are taught to love our enemies and esteem the lowly and downtrodden.
>
> In the Gospel reading this Sunday from Mark, we find Jesus instituting the
> sacrament of Communion during the Last Supper. He took bread, and after
> blessing it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take; this is my body”
> (Mark 14:22). Jesus does this in the context of inviting the lepers and the
> outcasts to his table.
>
> In one of his most striking pieces of mystical literature, Teilhard de
> Chardin wrote “The hymn of the universe,” where he expressed the idea of
> the Eucharist extending beyond the church walls into the cosmos. He saw
> every element of nature as part of a grand Eucharistic celebration, with
> the world itself serving as an altar.
>
> Teilhard insisted on viewing the human population as one global family,
> recognizing the need for global solidarity.  He believed that the act of
> seeing, or growing in consciousness of the reality we live in to be
> essential to that unity.
>
> From my earliest memories, the metaphor—or more accurately, the
> sacrament—of communion has held a special place in my spirituality. It
> serves as a profound reminder of our interconnectedness and shared
> humanity. Just as the bread and wine symbolize Christ’s body and blood,
> they also represent the underlying unity of all people. By participating
> remotely in this online ceremony we join with Pope Francis’s exhortation to
> pray for the unity of the human family, transcending divisions and
> embracing the evolution of consciousness towards a more interconnected and
> harmonious world.
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