09/07/2026
We are Many Members, yet One Body
Today, on the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, we gathered around the table of the Lord for our 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Eucharistic celebrations, presided over by our Interim Dean, the Rev. Harlon Dalton. In both celebrations, the Rev. Dr. Jay Kooke proclaimed the Gospel and invited us into a profound reflection on communication, reconciliation, and the sacred gift of relationship.
His preaching reminded us that to know one another truly requires more than words; it requires presence. We are called to listen with patience, to speak with kindness, and to approach one another with hearts willing to learn. In the beauty and complexity of our shared life, tensions and conflicts will sometimes arise, but they need not have the final word. When we make room for God in the midst of our conversations, even difficult encounters can become sacred opportunities for healing and grace.
The preacher encouraged us to follow Jesus’ wisdom in addressing conflict, inviting Christ to stand at the center of every difficult dialogue. For when Christ is present, our conversations can move beyond the desire to be right and toward the deeper desire to understand, forgive, and be reconciled. In a world often marked by strong emotions and painful polarization, we are called to become people who build bridges of compassion and communion.
At 9:00 a.m., we continued our spiritual formation with a 30-minute session led by the preacher, allowing us to deepen our reflection on these themes and consider how Christ’s call to reconciliation can shape our daily lives. At 11:00 a.m., we gathered for our customary time of hospitality and fellowship, sharing not only food, but also the joy of being together as one community of faith.
At 12:30 p.m., our Spanish-speaking community gathered around the Eucharistic table, with the celebration presided over by the Rev. Canon Ramón García. In his preaching, he called us to embrace the ministry of reconciliation as a sacred Christian vocation—one rooted in sincerity, repentance, trust, security, and active listening. He reminded us that reconciliation is not simply an aspiration, but a tangible expression of God’s liberating grace, bringing healing to our earthly relationships while opening our hearts to the freedom of heaven.
He also urged us to guard our hearts against resentment. Resentment can quietly diminish our capacity for compassion and awaken within us the desire for revenge. When we allow such feelings to govern our hearts, we risk moving away from the very love through which God calls us to live. As we were reminded through Leviticus 18:18, our responsibility toward one another is inseparable from our faithfulness to God.
May this Sunday’s invitation remain alive within us: to listen more deeply, to forgive more freely, to speak with grace, and to seek reconciliation with courage and humility. May we remember that we are not isolated individuals, but members of one another, bound together in the Body of Christ.
In a world longing for peace, may the Church be a living witness to reconciliation. May Christ dwell at the center of our conversations, our families, our communities, and our differences. And may our lives proclaim the truth we celebrate together: many members, but one body, united by the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
