The Touch of Christ Heals All

So many times we struggle with whether or not we should attend Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. I’ve heard so many explanations in the past twenty years about why people don’t need to be in Church to pray and experience God. The Gospel offers us a different answer with the story of the raising of the widow’s son in Nain. (Luke 7.11-17) In this story it was the physical touch of Christ, along with His command, that healed the young man. He touched the open coffin when He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” (Luke 7.14)

St Cyril of Alexandria said, “Why then did He not work the miracle by only a word but also touched the bier? It was, my beloved, that you might learn that the holy Body of Christ is productive for the salvation of man. The flesh of the Almighty Word is the body of life and was clothed with might.” Don’t you see? God could have called out from heaven and healed not only this young man, but all humanity. But He didn’t. He came and lived among us – in a real body, touching and blessing us.

THIS is why we must attend Divine Liturgy if we wish to be saved from death. Christ commanded that His Body and Blood be offered in the Eucharist, as life for the salvation of the world. You can’t receive Holy Communion on the golf course. If you can’t receive Holy Communion, then you cannot touch Christ. And the touch of Christ is life and heals all.