A reminder that we are part of the Body of Christ

I am writing this column on the feast day of St. John Chrysostom (September 13).  He is often referred to as the “Golden Tongue” because of his beautiful preaching and writing.  Today the Church offers us a reading from one of his homilies.  
“What have we to fear?  Death?  Life to me means Christ and death is gain…Do we fear the confiscation of goods?  We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it.”
St. John reminds us of the temporality of this world and all it holds.  He holds to his faith in Jesus, “If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear?”  And he reminds us that we are united to Christ, and that this has real implications.  St. John says, “Yet where I am, there you (Jesus) are too, and where you are, I am.  We are a single body, and the body cannot be separated from the head nor the head from the body.”
Sometimes we might feel alone.  We are not.  Our enemy wants to make us feel isolated and deserted.  We are not.  When we are feeling alone and scared it can be helpful to remind ourselves that we are part of the Body of Christ.  This Body of Christ is everyone who has been incorporated into His body through baptism and has remained in the state of grace.  This includes all of the great saints in heaven, those known and those anonymous to us.  It includes all of us here on earth who are untied to Christ and His body, the Church, and it includes all of the “saints to be” who are being purified in Purgatory.
It is easy to forget this communion that we have, but it is there.  There are certainly going to be times when, “The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock.”  
Thank you for the reminder St. John Chrysostom.
— Pat Arensberg is the Director of the Office for Evangelization and Family Life.  Email him at [email protected] 
For more information concerning the events of this office, visit us at mobilefaithformation.org