19/03/2020
Today, the third Sunday of Easter, I went out of the house for the first time after 44 days. During these days of confinement, I have been able to live very comfortably, staying at home and letting others go shopping, to the pharmacy, or elsewhere. Out of fear, laziness, or respect, I had not gone beyond the container at the door to take out the trash. But today I did, and I did it to attend Mass live, in a church, as we always did. This time it was not on a screen and sitting on the sofa. It was on a wooden bench, celebrating the Eucharist with unknown people around, like “always,” like before. Today, after 44 days, I received God sacramentally again, and it was a great gift, truly amazing. But beyond realizing how accustomed we were to such a miracle, I had a reflection I wanted to share.
Today I truly understood what I have often heard and agreed with without giving it much importance: “the Church is the Living Body of the risen Jesus.”
In my mind, I saw the Church from two perspectives;
On one hand, I saw the Church as a community, the people, the group we form who share the same faith. Those strangers I mentioned before are “less” strangers because we celebrate the same Eucharist, and that is how we feel. The same thing happens to us at Hakuna when we meet members from other cities; without knowing each other, we feel “brotherhood.” That was one perspective.
The other perspective was the Church as an institution or organization: the hierarchy, the clergy, the cathedrals, and the ornamentation. A necessary part for its development, order, and guidance, but often less close or less identified with me, even somewhat misunderstood because the amount of symbols, “gold,” riches, and impressive buildings created a certain internal “rejection” and distanced me from understanding that Church as the Body of the risen God.
Today, seeing us maintaining a 2-meter distance, wearing masks and gloves, seeing people look at each other with some confusion, I did not perceive that Church community, that “being among brothers.” But, on the other hand, having enjoyed Mass so much, having sacramentally reunited with Jesus, I recognized, a bit like the disciples on the road to Emmaus when He broke the bread, Jesus in the celebrated Eucharist, in the Church that for 2000 years has broken the bread and made Him present. I saw how God uses His Living Body, His Church, to appear again Risen. I understood that all the greatness, wealth, and ornamentation is an artistic consequence of this revelation; that as humans, having understood this, how could we not use our gifts to give that Living Body the best we have, the best we know how to do? How could we not care for the details and organize ourselves as we should? I mean, I had always seen the Church institution as a power in cultural, artistic, and architectural heritage, where the symbols, relics, statues, paintings, and buildings seemed contradictory to the life the apostles would have led as founders of the Church. But of course, if I had had the commission that Bramante had to plan the architecture of St. Peter’s Basilica and having internalized that Living Church as the Body of the Living Christ, I would also have put my effort into making this the greatest work possible, but as a consequence of that understanding.
Writing this last part, I see it so obvious that I am even embarrassed to have taken so long to realize it… but even so, I wanted to share it. Thanks to everyone, for everything.
