"In The One We are One"

At the beginning of his papal ministry, Pope Leo offered these words in his homily at Mass last Sunday:

Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest. For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one. This is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of good will, in order to build a new world where peace reigns! This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world.  We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.

His call for unity is also reflected in his papal motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the One Christ we are one.”)

When we hear these words of a desire for unity we should be enflamed with the gift of hope – not only because we are seeing a new pope begin his ministry, but because that unity is nothing new. The unity that we pray for, that we work for, is the very same unity that Jesus prayed for at the Last Supper on the night before He died for us. It is not just a “nice thought” – a moment of peace and cooperation that gives a warm, fuzzy feeling. Rather, the unity that Jesus prays for has a purpose.

Jesus prays that all may be one “that they also may be in us,that the world may believe that you sent me.” This unity is meant to be attractive, to draw others to the Church that Jesus established so that everyone can experience the fullness of life and joy. This unity should be a mark of our pastorate community and not just of the universal Church. We are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church; so, we must be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic pastorate. There is no option there.

This means that we need to get rid of anything that is a threat to that unity – anything that is a source of division and separation, because that is the work of the devil. If we look at others with suspicion or fear, then we are not open to being agents of unity. If we see different people as an imposition or out of place among us, then we are not responding to Christ call and prayer for unity. That cannot be who we are in any way; and it has not been the call of the Church from the beginning.

We hear about a controversy that arose in the early Church – even among the Apostles – wherein “outsiders” were looked upon as second-class members of the Church because of where they came from and how they practiced. The Apostles, after prayerful consideration, remembered Christ’s basic call to love one another and sought to set these brothers and sisters at peace with this teaching. Rather than seeking unity in practice or dogma, they looked to the one criterion that Jesus emphasized again and again: to love one another as He loves us. This is His urgent prayer at the Last Supper: “I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved memay be in them and I in them."

“In the one Christ we are one.” This motto of the Holy Father is also ours. It is the unity that Jesus desires and that brings us deeper into union with the Father. It is communion, rather than simply being on the same side. The motto of the United States is similar: E pluribus unum, “Our of many we are one.” However, in our culture, this unity is elusive. The modern specter of individualism often leads to separation, isolation, and disunity; and we are painfully aware of this fact.

The diversity that makes up our Church is also the diversity that comprises our nation. That has always been our strength in both the civic and ecclesial forum. But, if we ever allow the differences between us to define how we treat one another (as is sadly evident in our world today), then we need the reminder of Christ that God desires us to be one. And as faithful, we are one in the One, in Christ. By drawing near to Jesus we are embraced and validated as children of the Father. In the One Christ we are gathered to hear the word of peace and love. In the One Christ we recognize His presence in the poor and needy, in the sick and dying, in the immigrant and the lost. This is what it means to live Jesus’ words, “Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me.”

I think that Pope Leo has it right, and I am encouraged by his presence at the head of the Church on earth. So, I repeat his words as being spoken directly to us: “This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world.  We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.”