Mary Margaret Missar/ 2009 JCS High School Scholarship Essay Contest WinnerElena Gambon (Class of 2010) - Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
04/18/2009|
Paul’s Message: A Call to Community, A Call to Jesus
The message of St. Paul is that the Catholic Church embodies universality and solidarity. In his letters to the religious communities that he helped to establish, he illustrates the idea that we are all interconnected through Christ and through the foundation of the Church. His emphasis on religious society and structure as being the manifestation of Christ’s message in the world proves that Jesus’ life and message were truly community forming. In addition, Paul often speaks about Jesus and his disciples as a part of one body whose parts depend on each other for survival. I believe Paul’s message is that this commonality through Christ, this religious community, serves two purposes. In one sense we have a duty to protect and support our fellow human beings because we are all apart of the same community and we all share in the body of Christ. In the other, the community serves as a basis for our faith and the fundamental way in which we can share in the experience of Christ. Two passages from Paul’s writing which most clearly demonstrate this idea can be found in 1 Corinthians 10:16:
The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
And in Ephesians 4:16:
Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together bye very supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
These passages illustrate not only the idea of our connection with our fellow humans but also the idea that we can only survive when we live in the body of Christ and partake in the Eucharist of his love.
I found both of these passages insightful into the main message of Paul and into why he led his life the way he did. He was dedicated to spreading the message of the Lord and to creating a sense that the risen Lord is present always in the form of a Church and a community. His letters are proof of the importance he placed on this idea and how desperately he tried to create strong and loving communities in the name of Christ. He believed, as did many others, that the community was the best way to live out the message of Jesus and to keep his idea of love alive in the world.
In his letters, he mentions the idea of Christ as the “head of the body” which leads us in everyway and guides us to a final life with God. He described this scenario as “living the truth in love” which suggests that he believed so strongly in the power of Christ’s love while in the presence of a community of believers that it became an undeniable and incontrovertible truth. In addition, he mentions the rest of the body as joined together closely by ligaments. He states that it is only when each part of the body is functioning properly and listening to guidance from Jesus Christ that the body can grow and build itself up in love. He uses these metaphors to explain the purpose of the Church, which is the body and therefore made up of all believers, and to encourage others to think of Jesus as an ever-present force in our lives. His philosophy leaves no room for doubt that each person is in fact a necessary part of the plan of life and it is for this reason that we have a duty to our fellow humans. We are all part of one body and so we must make an effort to maintain every party of the body, encourage others to follow Christ, and live within the community of the Church to fully live in Jesus.
Paul also mentions the idea of the bread being the “body of Christ”, and since we are all part of that body, when we partake in the Eucharist we are not only affirming our belief in Jesus’ sacrifice but we are solidifying ourselves as a community of believers. “Breaking the bread of Christ” is therefore more meaningful because it connects us to two facets of life: our responsibility to our fellow humans and our love for Jesus Christ. In this way, Paul’s concept of Catholics sharing one body shows us that we can be closer to God and show our love for Christ better when we are part of a community. As Jesus said, “where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them”. Paul seems to understand Jesus’ message. He understands that family and community should be the fundamental aspects of one’s faith and the support for when one’s faith falters. In essence, all of the Paul’s missionary work and all of his writings indicate that he was an “apostle of the Church”. He strongly advocated that converts and Christians alike join together not only to support each other, but because Jesus’ message itself was one of community and companionship.
One reason I find these passages so interesting is because the message is counterintuitive. One might wonder how they can develop a personal relationship with God and remain free of sin when they are in the midst of many others who also have a tendency to sin. They might consider it blasphemy that in eating the bread of Christ, we are consuming the idea of community as well as the love of Jesus. However, that is what makes Paul’s message so striking. Upon further contemplation and practical experience it becomes clear that the only way to maintain your faith is by receiving support from others, not matter how sinful they are. In addition, we can only discover our true faith in God when in the midst of temptation and when given opportunities to prove our love for others and for God. In this way, the community is not only a support and basis for faith, but it is a way to test your faith and prove your love for God.
I am particularly fascinated in Paul’s message because his idea of community as a necessary facet of one’s spiritual life is an idea that has been apart of my life ever since I was little. My entire family, including extended relatives, is religious and God has been apart of our lives in everything we do. We pray together, attend mass when we have large family reunions, and make God apart of our daily routines. My grandparents were two of the most devoted and selfless people I have ever known and were continuously giving of themselves and devoting time to God. In being in relationships with them and existing as a community, I was able to look upon them as an example of how I would like to live my life. In addition, I have attended a Catholic school for my entire life and the support and encouragement I receive in such an institution only helps me to build my faith. In reading the passages written by Paul, his message is only more clearly solidified as important in my mind because I have the experience to relate to it. Because my family, my intimate and extended community, has always had religion as a significant aspect I understand how the support and inspiration of others helps me be closer to God. I can see that not only does community create opportunity to show God’s love and give support when my faith is lacking, but it also offers a better avenue for God to be present in my life. The idea of humanity as being “one body and one spirit…in one Lord” gives me faith when I seem to be lacking and defines the way I view my community and my interaction with others. I can relate to Paul’s message and I understand it to be a call to community and a call to be closer to Jesus.