Read the works of our saintly forebears
One of the greatest gifts I have experienced in my Catholic faith is the knowledge and understanding that we are not alone in this journey. I am not referring merely to our friends, family and people I see gathered each week around the altar; nor am I referring to the words of a good friend, who although separated by an ocean, often says “good-bye” with the words, “See you at the altar.” There is one Body in Christ, and this Body is not merely some institutional union of a worldwide organization, nor is it simply an invisible spiritual union for us to imagine that all believers in Christ share a common belief, heritage, and inheritance. Through the Eucharist, this Body becomes truly a singular body of the faithful, bound in ways that go beyond our shared humanity: that we walk together, hand-in-hand, fully participating in the work of salvation. In this body, we experience the moments of crucifixion, of Peter’s denial and the betrayal of Judas, along with the joy of the women at the emptied tomb, the cleansing of forgiveness and sanctifying Grace of baptism, in no way less than the experiences of our daily and ordinary life. As one body, united in Christ, we enter the union and unity of the Holy Trinity. We become more than brothers and sisters, born to a common family, in a common walk, sharing our daily struggles and the discovery of God’s very Being. There is a gift and grace of this Body that is much more and greater than even these things--something that is more clearly seen and remembered in the Eastern practices of our faith. In the one Body of Christ, we are united in both space and time.
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