The Church is Universal

Happy feast of Corpus Christi!

I realize how long it has been since I wrote last on my blog… so I will dedicate another entry to life over the past few months at my new site, Maridi! But first I wanted to write a bit about my retreat to Kampala, Uganda and my time in transit in Juba!

Last week the SLM’s from Juba and Maridi made a retreat to Uganda! It was an amazing experience! There were so so many highlights, including, but not limited to, MEXICAN FOOD!!!  A burrito the size of my face was amazing after the monotony of daily rice and beans!

Another high on the retreat actually hit me on the first full day, in mass.

We found the nearest church and saw that they had a service at 6:30AM. Uganda’s official language is English, so I kind of assumed that the mass would be said in English. I was wrong. Everything was in the second ‘official’ language spoken in Uganda, ‘Luganda.’ And I thought to myself, how beautiful is this: I have no idea what the priest is saying… But I know EXACTLY what he is saying, all at the exact same time!!

Then it all came together today, on the feast of Corpus Christi or ‘The Body of Christ.’ I was jumping into a car with 1 father from India, 1 sister from India, 1 sister from Japan, 1 deacon from Vietnam, 2 pre-novices from South Sudan, 1 lay collaborator from Italy and me from America… The feast of Corpus Christi is celebrating Christ’s Universal body! The same body that brought 8 people from 6 different countries together in South Sudan to celebrate His life, death and resurrection in 3 different languages at once. That body is the same Body that brings 5 missionaries together for a mass in Lugandan! Even though I doubt anyone at mass knew all 3 languages that were spoken at mass fluently, we all spoke one language… that of the Body of Christ, LOVE!

*Let me clarify, the 3 languages spoken were English, Arabic and Bari (the local tribal language). The majority of mass was spoken in English and Arabic, but some of the prayers and songs were done in Bari. AND on top of all of that, the Arabic that father was speaking was a bit different of a dialect than many of the local tribal people speak!*

Mass in Mogiri, South Sudan

The reason I felt so comfortable at mass in a language that I was literally hearing for the first time was because we were all there for the same reason- Corpus Christi, Love! When I walk down the street in South Sudan, all eyes are on me because I stick out like a sore thumb… But at mass, even though I still stick out like a sore thumb for the same reason, all eyes are on Christ in the Eucharist! Love comes down, and nothing else matters because the Body of Christ is Universal, He goes beyond the 6 different nations represented, or the 3 different languages spoken. That welcoming feeling that I felt a week ago in Kampala, Uganda… That welcoming feeling that I felt today in Mogiri, South Sudan is the feeling of being unified under one Body of Christ! It is the same unity that keeps me closer than ever to my family and friends back home, even though I am thousands of miles away.

Love is not a feeling, it is an action.

We were NEVER told, “Make disciples of the nations that speak the same language as you and only go where you feel most comfortable” we were told, “Go, make disciples of ALL nations!”

When we forget the Universal Corpus Christi, we forget Love. When we remember Corpus Christi, we feel nothing but love regardless of language, color, tribe, nationality or physical distance.

May the Body of Christ unite us all under the universal language of love!

~Dan

Johnny leading the children before mass!