My Favorite Class

My head has been spinning since class on Tuesday. There's just too much. I can't do any of it justice, but I'll put down some of my notes, and hopefully they will spark some thought in others! Some of this is from Ratzinger's God is Near Us, but not sure which parts.

The human body does two things: It enables us to encounter others. It expresses me, the reality of the person, and allows us to communicate. But it also prevents us from knowing each other fully. It is like a border between states- it gives form to the state, but also separates it from all others. So the human being always has a decision to make: to allow oneself to be known, to give oneself, or to cave in. Because of original sin, we tend to cave in on ourselves. But in the Resurrection, the body becomes just communication. That is why Jesus can be fully present, His body can be in the Eucharist, in the Church, in US, everywhere, and does not separate us from Him. The Church is where the communication of God takes place. God wants man to participate in His life- this is much more than not sinning, but is being someone with whom He can talk... Dialogue! God seeks a return of His love.

We are called to have the soul of the Church; Our souls should be enlarged and welcome the other... which requires us to change. The center of our self should be no longer the self but the other... In St. Paul, just as it is Christ who lives in him, he also carries the community of believers in him as well. God places the destiny of others in human hands. Look at the saints. Their lives were defined by Christ, and they knew the urgency of communicating Him to others. We are all called to participate inChrist's mission- He lives in us. Some missions reach further than others (that is why we only canonize some) but we all participate in it. The whole Church is in me. If you are baptized, you are a part of me... not in a sentimental wishy-washy sense, but in a reality of having been made one by the sacrifice of Christ. The entire Church is in me. I carry you- and you carry me- for He carries us all.