The Mystical Body of Christ(MBOC) is a wonderful, amazing blessing. All of our intimate friends share at the Lord’s Table with us every Sunday. Not always at the same church or the same town, but we are all connected–we are all one–in the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift. But of course, the best part of the gift comes when you unwrap it.
Through the years we have enjoyed unwrapping this gift over and over as we meet new families that come to our parish, or we say good-bye to great friends who move away and our friendship continues to bloom across the distance. We make memories celebrating the great feasts of our Church or celebrating the blessings of our families in the ordinary days of our lives. We support each other when we need it. We are honest and build each other up when we need that too. We share our lives and our families.
Yesterday at Mass, the kids and I were sitting in the front pew and Adam had to serve as an alcolyte. Our friend Peter was behind us (and his wife was in the back with the baby) and another family we have recently gotten to know was to our right. And actually it was just the dad, Ryan, and the two older girls (ages 4 and 5) because his wife was in the back with their baby. During the Eucharist prayer, Fulton had to go to the bathroom. Rather than parade (because that’s what it would have been) all four kids out from the front row, I took him and the baby and asked Peter to keep an eye on Therese and Muffin. We managed to come back by the beginning of the Agnus Dei. But as we were coming back, Ryan left with one of his girls, leaving the other in the pew by herself. So the time to go to communion came and Ryan hadn’t returned. Thankfully his daughter knows us (and loves Therese) and so she went up with our family. Holding up the communion line for a couple of minutes, there I was blessed with these 5 wonderful children. And in that moment I felt truly blessed that we know, trust, and are at ease with the people sitting around us in the pews at church to step in and help one another with our children.
I have to play ‘single parent’ today and tomorrow as Adam is busy with a work project and unavailable to us. In a semi-disastrous and challenging moment taking the kids to class at church today, our dear friend Elizabeth who’s baby I watch once a week gave me a much needed hug and later her husband called to invite themselves to bring us dinner tomorrow night.
These are the sweet gifts of our friends in Christ. Thank you friends!
But because we are her catechists, Adam and I will be able to sit with her at Mass.
