Can Unity Really Happen?
January 22, 2025
Fr. John Riccardo
Brothers and sisters: As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, "Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you." Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.
Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
(1 Cor 12:12-30).
There’s lots of talk in our news these days about how divided we are as a country. Such division, tragically, is nothing new. Division, fear, suspicion, distrust, and outright hatred of “the other” have been our lot since that fateful day in Eden. In the midst of this, however, the human spirit senses something isn’t right and that we aren’t supposed to be like this; it seems to remember a time when things were different and longs for peace.
Every once in a while, something occurs that seems to bring people together. For example, when 9/11 happened there was a great sense of unity in the United States. For a short while. It wasn’t, however, the unity we long for, as it was directed against the ones who had flown planes into those buildings.
Or, like this week, a politician wins an election and is inaugurated – at any level – and promises that he or she will unite the country, the state, or even the school board. But it doesn’t work. Politics, as important as it is, can’t bring unity.
Is there any hope, then?
A wise man once commented that people need signs of faith that don’t require faith. In other words, there are certain things that, even for unbelievers, are so profound, so miraculous, that even though those people don’t believe they’re moved to acknowledge only God can do that. There are two such signs of faith that don’t require faith: true forgiveness and real unity. Only God can enable a person to forgive, as everything in us wants to exact some degree of revenge on the one who hurt us. And only God can create real unity.
How? In Jesus.
“You are Christ’s body,” Paul says. This is not an image. It’s a reality. In baptism we personally became members of Jesus’ body. His body has many parts, and so we are united not only to Him but to each other through our unity with Him. It cannot be otherwise. When we receive the Eucharist too, we are united not only to Him but to each other. This is unlike anything the world can conceive or do.
To be a member of Jesus’ body, that is, the Church, is not like being part of a club, or a team, or even belonging to the same ethnic group. It transcends every known division or barrier, “whether Jew or Greek, slave or free.” We might add, “Whether Democrat, Republican or Independent; whether for Notre Dame or Ohio State; whether American or Russian.”
The Church, that is, you and me, would do well to remember that over and over again in the course of history people who once were divided, fearful and hateful of each other, actually became united. Not around a cause or a movement but in the person of Jesus. As they came to see one another as brothers and sisters they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to love one another, and often laid down their lives for each other. And people noticed. And rushed to join them.
We desperately need our parishes and Christian communities to model this again. Mindful of Paul’s words to us, it might be good in this week focused on Christian unity to ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we’re a source of division instead of unity in our parish, or our family. This might especially reveal itself in how we speak about another, or others, in the community. Perhaps it might be worth asking the Spirit to help us this week be ever more attentive to His promptings to encourage another in our speech and other forms of communication. St. Paul, pray for us! Pray that the Lord will make our communities what we in fact are: one. And may those who long for peace and do not yet believe in God see and join us
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
January 2025
For our time at the Evangelical Catholic Conference in Texas. May all those gathered be filled with the Holy Spirit and ever more fired up for the mission.
For a holy Christmas season for our Episcopal Advisory Committee, Board members, benefactors, prayer partners and all those running The Rescue Project in their parishes, homes and college campuses.
For God’s protection upon Fr. John Riccardo, the ACTS XXIX family and all our families.
