The Church

What does it men to be the "body of Christ". As I reflect on the messages about the body of Christ that I have shared over the past few weeks, I think it is safe to refer to the Body of Christ as the "church". It's safe, that is, provided we think in terms of the church as a living organism and not a building. I ran across an old story this week that illustrates the presence of the living church in the world. It's about a Catholic priest in North Carolina. Although his name is Paul Bryant, he became known as Padre Pablo. Padre Pablo began ministering to the growing Hispanic population in NC by going to a Laundromat where many of the Hispanic community gathered to wash their clothes. Upon entering, he set up a small table and placed a hand-woven blanket on the table with some bread and wine. On his initial trip to the Laundromat he said mass for five or six people. As I read about Padre Pablo, I recognized a picture of the life of Christ that does not cease at the threshold of the church building. Nor does the heartbeat of the church stop beating at noon on Sunday morning. The church is alive in the Laundromat. If we are alive in Christ, His body is present in the Laundromat.