The Mystical Body of Christ: The Church Reveals Christ Incarnate

By Fr. Marion Charboneau, O.S.B.

Members of the Church are also members of the Body of Christ. Read on to learn how this sacred mystery is manifested in scripture and dogmatic teachings.

This article was originally published in our January 2025 Kansas Monks newsletter. Read the whole newsletter at www.kansasmonks.org/newsletter/january2025

In 1943, Pope Pius XII released the encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi to illuminate the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ. This teaching encapsulates the mystery of salvation and Christ’s union with his Church—a truth worthy of prayerful reflection.

The concept of the Mystical Body of Christ has deep roots but has not always been easily defined. St. Paul frequently referred to the Church as the Body of Christ, though the term “mystical” wasn’t explicitly used. Early Church Fathers often associated the term “Mystical Body” with the Eucharist. Today, it is generally understood as encompassing all who live in Christ’s grace and favor:

the Church Militant on earth, the Church Suffering in purgatory, and the Church Triumphant in heaven.

As we all know, “body” often means an assembly or gathering of people together in some sort of unity or purpose. Any assembly, however, inevitably contains within it parts and divisions, various functions and offices, yet all of them are combined to function joined and work together in some shared endeavor, as fingers on a hand we might say.

This image of unity is central to St. Paul’s description of the Church in its relationship with Christ. In First Corinthians, Paul writes: “A body is one, though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ” (1 Cor 12:12). He continues, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it” (1 Cor12:27). Paul’s letter to the Ephesians further develops this theme, likening spiritual growth in Christ to the growth of a body, “held together by every supporting ligament” (Eph 4:16).

At the heart of this image is the truth that Christ is the head of the Church. As the head directs the human body, so Christ guides his Mystical Body. But this headship is more profound than mere guidance—it reflects Christ’s unique role in salvation.

That much may seem obvious, but it is when we consider just how Jesus is head that we see something especially significant. Jesus is the New Adam, the “firstborn from the dead” (1 Cor 15:20). Greater than Adam and any of Adam’s mortal descendants, Jesus’s headship comes through his resurrection and glorification. This victory establishes Christ’s supremacy over all creation. Furthermore, in his ascension, Christ was exalted to the Father’s right hand, there to be seated on a heavenly throne, receiving “a name above every other name” (Phil 2:9). His authority as head is both salvific and kingly; he reigns over his people with divine power and love.

More significantly, Jesus is also the head because he alone is the source of salvation. In him, through the Holy Spirit, the grace of God is made to “overflow to the many” (Romans 5:15). Paul describes a “diversity of gifts”— wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, and tongues (1 Cor 12:7-11)—but whatever they may be and whoever receives them, they are given to the faithful by Jesus through the Holy Spirit to energize, to give life, and to  equip and empower each of the faithful for the good works and holy things entrusted to them.

That bestowal of grace takes place most especially in the seven sacraments; in each one, Jesus through the Holy Spirit directs his grace to the members to enable them to act, just as a person’s head directs a hand or a foot to move. Among the seven, Baptism occupies a principal place among the sacraments.  Quite simply, we are baptized into Christ’s body and thereby baptized into his glorious life and power, participating in it, sharing in it, and being graced by it to move and act in our lives as the head wills. Eucharist, too, holds an exalted place. The Eucharist nourishes the body, but also binds it together. As First Corinthians says, “We being many are one bread, one body; for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17).

Matrimony and Holy Orders also deserve some mention, as they further manifest Christ’s headship. In Matrimony, the grace of Christ orders the relationship of husband, wife, and children in their actions to one another, while Holy Orders places bishops, priests, and deacons under the leadership of the Pope, the successor of Peter as Bishop of Rome.

Always to be avoided is any tendency to see the Mystical Body as simply a visible reality, or to simply regard it in terms of sacramental office or hierarchy. Jesus once said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15:5), and all holy things given by him grow out of himself. Sacraments, offices, and charisms are expressions of the same divine life flowing from Christ through the Holy Spirit. None of them should be in any real conflict with another. These gifts work together harmoniously to create, build up, and deepen our unity with him and each other.

Attributed to Athanasius. Blessed Be the Host of the King of Heaven. Mid of the 16th century, tempera on wood. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

The Mystical Body of Christ extends beyond the Church on earth. The Church Militant, Church Suffering, and Church Triumphant are united in grace and holiness, sharing the same faith and love. This spiritual communion reflects the dynamic grace of Christ at work in all his members.

Ultimately, the Mystical Body of Christ reveals the invisible reality of our union with him—a union destined to be fully revealed in eternity. All share in the same faith and love, and the splendid variety of charisms, sacramentals, heavenly blessings, and more have been given to all for the good of all.  We must collaborate with one another to fully enjoy the richness of these divine gifts. The saints help us to fix our eyes on heaven, and the souls in purgatory and on earth join the saints in praising God and praying for one another. Through everything given by Christ as head, we are drawn together in his love, preparing for the day when we will dwell with him and one another in eternal glory. This is the heart of God’s plan of salvation: a visible and eternal union in the glory of his Son, Jesus Christ.

About Fr. Marion Charboneau, O.S.B.

Fr. Marion, O.S.B. is a priest and a fly fisherman. His passion for fishing started early in life; his passion for the faith came later on. He is an adjunct instructor of history for Benedictine College.