1 Corinthians 12:12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
Catholics, said Chesterton, agree about everything. It is only everything else they disagree about. The Church is aptly described in today’s gospel. She takes ’em all. The members of the Church are “many.” And many, not only quantitatively, but qualitatively as well. Look at the people in line for Communion at your average parish: young, old, rich, poor, every color and culture imaginable, every language, nation, people, tongue and tribe comes to the altar. And the Church is immeasurably richer for it: a wild party, made one body in Christ.
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.
