You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
God has now reconciled you
in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death,
to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him...
Most Christians, in the sobriety of their adult years, recall moments when they were "alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deed." Perhaps we didn't think we were so ugly at the time, but in retrospect we remember that certain periods of our life were not pretty. Like many other humans, we wanted what we wanted when we wanted it. If it was not forthcoming immediately we wondered why (the blue blazes) not!
"...alienated and hostile' is not far off from the way it was.
But God has reconciled us in the fleshly body of Christ.
That is such a powerful expression!
It must remind us of that which our crucifixes signify, but we overlook anyway -- that a man was suspended on a crude wooden cross, with his flesh, sinews, and bones sagging and helpless from the merciless nails that held his dying body aloft. That his body was drained of blood and all fluids as a sere wind dried his mouth and lungs, and vermin nestled into his skin. Crows are known to pluck out the eyes of helpless victims on the stake, gallows, or cross.
"...through his death you are reconciled."
The fleshly body of Christ must also remind us of the sacraments, for we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus during our Mass. The Eucharist is an immediate and real presence to the faithful. We are there with Jesus in his death and resurrection.
If the Eucharist is "symbolic," it is never "just a symbol." It is symbolic as my body is symbolic of me; there is no spiritual distance or distinction between one and the other. To receive the Eucharist is to know the fleshly Body of Christ.
"...to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him...
Just as we believe in the physical, fleshly presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, so do we believe in the physical resurrection from the dead, so that he might present us as he presents himself to the Father -- holy, without blemish and irreproachable. We saw him ascend into heaven; we must ascend with him.
If the Resurrection is difficult to imagine and, for that reason, some people will not believe it, even more ridiculous would be a bodyless resurrection. What would be raised if not the body? What would I be if not my body? A disembodied spirit? Like Prospero's Ariel? or Peter Pan's Tinkerbell?
But the important thing is not to imagine it. It's to believe in the Lord who has made our trials bearable and our challenges surmountable, who walks with us and carries his cross with us. Who is Himself our souls' reward. The One who was rescued by His Father from the grave will not fail to rescue his beloved people.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.