Everybody has the same importance before God’s eyes and for His Church, because everybody is a member of His Family, united in Jesus Christ. As Saint Paul said:

“God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 24-25).

God teaches us to live in mutual love and charity: He disposes things in such a way that each one of us needs the other to build His Family and His Kingdom on Earth. This should eliminate arrogant self-sufficiency and haughty presumption in each member: God made us in such a way that we need one another. There should never be strife, rivalry and jealousy among members because – as Saint Paul said – “God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as He intended” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 18).

Therefore each one of us who were baptized should be proud of being considered worth of belonging to that Sacred Body: we should willingly accept our place in this Body and collaborate in the growth of that Body as a faithful member, a member that obeys the Head and serves the other members.

“If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 26).

The beauty of the Church lies in the diversity of Her members, each one with its particular functions, co-operating with the Head for the sake of everybody.

“If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 19-20).

The Holy Spirit grants different kinds of charisma to different members of the Body of Christ; no member is left without a special kind of charisma and the special charisma of one member is a blessing to everybody:

“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 7).

“But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 11).

Finally, Saint Paul condenses his whole teaching by saying:

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 12, 17).

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (The Letter to the Galatians 3, 27-28).

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (The First Letter to the Corinthians 6, 15).

Prof Felipe Aquino

Professor Felipe Aquino is a widower, father of five children. On TV Canção Nova he presents the program “Escola da Fé” [School of faith] and “Pergunte e Responderemos” [Ask and respond], on Radio he presents the program “in the heart of the Church”. On weekends he preaches deepening meetings throughout Brazil and abroad. He wrote 73 books of Catholic background by publishers, Loyola and Cleopas and Canção Nova. His teacher’s page:www.cleofas.com.br Twitter: @pfelipeaquino