Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:1-6)
We spend so much of our lives living for ourselves. It seems from the very first moments of our lives, we attempt to steer things the way they benefit ourselves the most.
A child quickly learns how to manipulate a parent into getting anything.
We want and want and want. And we live, by and large, for ourselves.
However, in today’s second reading, St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, is reminding them of one very important reality: they are not individuals. They are one body in the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit that unifies us into the one body of Christ.
Paul exhorts us to do all that we can to preserve that unity through the bond of peace.
We could have our own way if we try hard enough. However, having our own way often means stepping on the toes of others.
We are reminded today that we, as individuals, are not the most important thing. We, as a collective whole, as the body of Christ, are what should matter.
Live as that one body today!
FAITH ACTION: Do something today for the good of another. It might be a spouse or child or family member. It might be a neighbor or co-worker. It might be a total stranger. However, reach out to someone else today.