"En la misma barca" - Aprender a ser comunidad

Pope Francis's words, spoken on March 27, 2020, continue to resonate within us: "We are in the same boat." The awareness that we are connected to one another makes us recognize our mutual needs and compels us to abandon individualism. The proposed reflection is based on the words of the Holy Father and the message left by Paul in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, which revolves around the idea of ​​the body. First key lesson: We must be attentive to our brothers and sisters. To speak of the body is to speak of the connections we have with one another. This union that the members of the body have is an intrinsic union in which "each member of the body is important." The feeling that we are incomplete when someone is missing is a sign of health. The death of a community begins when the one who is not there is no longer needed. We must be attentive to ensure that no one is missing and that those who are there can fulfill their proper role. Extreme ideologies end up turning human beings into a spare part. Treating people as if they have a replacement implies living in a dehumanizing and dehumanizing culture. Second lesson: The danger of self-exclusion. Believing that less visible ministries aren't as important leads us to fall into the error of self-exclusion. When you exclude yourself, you are disregarding your place within the Body. True donation consists in involving one's own life in a donation that, however humble, is seen by God. Self-exclusion is not only disregarding oneself but disregarding what God has given you. Third lesson: The members of the Body that appear weaker are indispensable. In today's world, it seems that only the opinions of the strong, those who make a lot of noise or produce a lot, matter. We despise those who cannot shout to the point of wanting to eliminate them. The desire is to eliminate those who don't produce, for example: euthanasia. Christian logic somehow turns the logic of the world on its head. The logic of the world is: if you don't produce, you don't count; Christian logic is the opposite. If only the strong are honored, division occurs. When a community begins to exclude others, it means civil war. To be one body, the only way is to take care of those most in need, and that means being in the same boat. One of the Pope's frequent sermons is against gossip, backbiting, and envy. The remedy is to "learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." This is to preserve the unity of the community; if we don't learn this lesson, we are fostering division. Questions that help us become aware of how, in different contexts, we can learn to truly be one body: 1. What bonds of gratitude do I have with the people around me? Gratitude is the first look of love you give to the members of your community. 2. Are there issues of resentment that are conditioning my relationships with others? The wounds we have prevent us from relating to others as God intends. 3. Am I attentive to what my brother or sister might need? Many people have difficulty raising their hand and saying, "I need help," so we must be willing to help. This helping consists of anticipating the need, like Mary at the wedding at Cana. 4. What is the quality and perseverance of my prayer for others? 5. How can I improve my communication with those closest to me? Sometimes we live like strangers, even in the same house. We are side by side without being a true community. These questions help us delve deeper into this beautiful theme of the body and remember that we are in the same boat. * * More preaching at: http://fraynelson.com/blog ALSO: Subscribe for free to my daily evangelization newsletter: http://fraynelson.com/suscripciones.html Dominicans in Colombia website: http://opcolombia.org