The body matters – especially when it comes to community gatherings.

My wife has an incredible extended family who exemplify this beautiful fact. She has over 100 relatives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and they all get together at least a few times a year. Beyond that, there are several smaller gatherings throughout the year that they invite everyone to, but not everyone can make it. It always amazes me when we show up to Easter and have everyone sound off starting with “One!” and ending up at “Eighty-nine!” It amazes me even more when they can then list exactly who couldn’t make it, and why.

They sort of consider ‘showing up for each other’ the primary virtue of family. They truly understand the importance of time spent in each other’s bodily presence. Even the outwardly atheist cousins attended our niece’s baptism, because they knew how much the parents cared about the faith. They could have sent a card or something, but they understood that the body matters. If I can say nothing else of my wife’s side of the family, I can say they obviously love each other very much. It’s an incredibly beautiful thing to see, and I’m so grateful to God for them.

While listening to Monica Ashour give a talk on the Body of Christ, a realization about my wife’s side of the family struck me. My wife’s side of the family love each other in a manner that reflects the beauty of the Church in some ways. Like how when we gather for Mass on Sunday, we go to spend time with the family we love. The Church understands the importance of one’s bodily presence at Mass. That’s why, in her wisdom, the Church doesn’t allow us to watch Mass on television, unless we have a dispensation. The Church wants us to spend time together, in the presence of and in communion with the one who binds us all together. In fact, when we gather every Sunday, we don’t just gather with those in our parish, but with the whole Church throughout time. Talk about a large family gathering!

All photos are either sourced by the author, or from Wikimedia Commons in their public domain section unless otherwise marked. If you have any questions about copyright, please contact 888-855-4791.

The family of God gathers for a meal every day!

In short, the body matters when it comes to family gatherings – at church and in our families. So, next time you’re at Mass, give thanks to God that He gathers His family together so often, and enjoy the time you get to spend with them.