His Living Body

We all like to belong, and so this reading is comforting. It is important to remind ourselves that we are “fellow citizens with the holy ones.” Christ unites us all. We are his living body.

I imagine the Church as large oak tree. The roots, the trunk, the branches and the leaves are the people that make up this beautiful creation of God. The leaves are important for creating energy and giving life to the tree. The roots are there for stability, grounding the tree to the earth. The trunk and branches provide structure and connection. I imagine Christ as the water that flows through and gives life to every part of the tree. We are all unique in our gifts and talents, but Christ unites us and flows through us all as one body and one church.

—Elise Huber is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major at the University of Michigan. She is an active student leader at St. Mary’s Student Parish in Ann Arbor.