I simply want to highlight some of the beautiful and important points of today’s 2nd reading from Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians. He writes:
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ… Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, "Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, " it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, " it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hear- ing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you, " nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you." If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.
Thanks to the eyes, ears, feet, hands – and hearts! – of this body of Christ at Transfiguration Parish! We have different gifts and talents, but all are important and needed! What is your gift? Which part of the body are you?
Fr. Jeff