Father Timothy MarcoeThis past week, Pope Leo XIV delivered a beautiful statement to participants commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, Switzerland – think of the Mennonites and the Amish. In particular, he spoke of the need for Christians to be witnesses of the risen Jesus to the world – “for”, he said, “the more united Christians are, the more effective will be our witness to Christ the Prince of Peace in building up a civilization of loving encounter.”
Jesus Himself puts it this way in our Gospel today from John 17: Father, “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world…[but] I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.” In other words, the unity of the believers is essential to the unity of the message witnessed to. In fact, since the goal of witnessing to the risen Jesus through our words and actions is so essential for others to come to faith, an important question in light of Christian unity arises – one which Pope Benedict XVI himself asked: “How can non-believers accept the Gospel proclamation if Christians, even if they all call on the same Christ, are divided among themselves?” That’s a really good question!
Perhaps an illustration from family life will help make this more apparent. If a child misbehaves, but the parents are of different mindsets as to whether or not their child should be punished, this “divided front” weakens whatever choice is made, because the little one sees a lack of agreement on the truth of the situation. And don’t you know, sometimes they just try to exploit that division, don’t they!
Or, take the example of children where one parent comes to Mass with them, while the other never comes to church with them. As a result, it’s quite possible that the children experience religion and church as something optional, and the importance of faith is weakened, or at least relativized. And so, as people look to the Church, divided among thousands of denominations, it’s no wonder that more and more in our country are seeing religion as relative and optional, because it seems like the truths of Christianity are relative and optional, depending on the version you subscribe to.
But let’s not just look outside among the whole of Christianity. Let’s look within our very own Catholic Church. Again, in today’s Gospel, our Lord says, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one.” So, while it’s true that there is a lack of unity between the followers of Christ, there is unfortunately quite often even a lack of unity between members of the Body of Christ in the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. Sometimes, we use labels like conservative or liberal, or even orthodox or dissenting. Some think Holy Communion should only be received directly on the tongue; while others think that’s old-fashioned. Some don’t want a word of Latin; while others say the more the better. And I could go on. Yes, unfortunately there can be a lot that divides us. And even if it’s not always externally manifested or said, such divisive attitudes can be resentfully harbored in the heart if we’re not careful.
Jesus knew there would be dissentions and differences – that’s why He prayed that His followers would be one in Him – He who alone is the way, the truth, and the life. He prayed, “Father, may they be one, as we are one!” How are the Father and Son one? They are one in mutual love for one another through the bond of the Holy Spirit shared between them. In other words, the Father didn’t get jealous when Jesus was getting all the attention on Christmas night. Or Jesus didn’t get resentful of His Father, because it was His will that the cup of suffering not pass from Him. And the Holy Spirit doesn’t feel cheated because He only gets shared with the Apostles on Pentecost. It’s not about self-focus or self-righteousness – it’s about other-centered, sacrificial love, which is God’s very identity in His essence.
My friends, God is one in the unity of the Trinity. And we as the Church are called to directly participate in that divine Oneness. What keeps us one, though many, is our union in the one faith we have received, as passed down through the ages in its fullness. But what nourishes that faith is the holy Eucharist – the very Sacrament of Charity. In Holy Communion, we receive the one sacrifice that Jesus offered once for all upon the cross for our salvation – the greatest act of love the world has ever known. And as we receive our Savior in Holy Communion, the very unity of the triune God makes us one in His love despite our differences.
The world today fights to the death sometimes over differences. We, however, are called to be different. We are called to love one another because God is love. And that starts right here within our own Catholic Church. Love does not mean condoning sin or tolerating evil. But it does mean meeting people where they are. Then, in the united witness of love that we give to the world, people will see something different. They will experience what God alone makes possible – a true unity in Him, the fruit of which is peace. And so, may the Holy Communion we share together today – the Sacrament of Charity – help to bring us all into greater communion with God and with one another – in our families, in the Church, and throughout the Body of Christ. God bless you.
(Father Marcoe is the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Danville.)
By Father Timothy D. Marcoe, Special to The Witness
