“A local congregation, a parish, is our small, concrete entry into the universal church. It is the basic unit of Christian community and the place where we encounter God in Word and sacrament. The body of Christ—ancient, global, catholic—is only known, loved, and served through the gritty reality of our local context.” Spiritual LifeLocal ChurchChurch LifeUniversal Church Book:Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life Source: Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life