XVIII — FRATERNAL UNION

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Presence of God. — My God, grant me grace to preserve union with neighbor in the bond of charity and peace.

Meditation

1 — As Jesus in his earthly life never ceased to recommend charity and fraternal union, so the Church, in Sunday Masses, continues to inculcate this virtue. Today she does so using a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “I beseech you to walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called, with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, supporting one another in charity, careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Epistle).

The call we have received is vocation to Christianity, that is, vocation to love. God, infinite charity, adopts us as his children so that we may emulate his charity — and emulate it to the point that love is the bond uniting us all in one heart, as the Father and Son are united in one Divinity in the bond of the Holy Spirit. “That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee ... that they also may be one in us,” Jesus asked for us (Jn. 17:21).

“Keep unity in bond of peace”: at once easy and difficult. Easy, because when the heart is truly humble, meek, and long-suffering, it bears all things with love, careful to adapt to others’ tastes and mentality rather than assert its own. Difficult, because as long as we are here below, self-love — even if mortified — always tries to rise and affirm itself, creating continuous occasions of mutual clash. To avoid them requires much self-renunciation and much delicacy toward others.

We must persuade ourselves that everything disturbing, weakening, or, worse, destroying union does not please God. Nor does it please Him even if done under pretext of zeal. Except for fulfillment of duty and respect for God’s law, we should always prefer to renounce our own ideas, even good ones, rather than clash with neighbor. An act of humble renunciation for the sake of unity gives far more glory to God; peace among brothers gives far more glory to God than a grand work that becomes cause of discord and disharmony.

2 — Very often the cause of divisions among good people is excessive personalism, too much insistence on doing things one’s own way. Given our limitations, there can be nothing so absolute in our ideas as to leave no room for others’. If our views are good, upright, and clear, others can stand beside them that are equally good, even better. Therefore it is much wiser, humbler, and more charitable to accept others’ views and harmonize ours with them, rather than reject them because we cannot renounce personal details and nuances.

This personalism is enemy of union, obstacle to better success of works, and obstacle also to our spiritual progress.

In today’s Epistle St. Paul places before us all motives we have for keeping united: “one body and one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (cf. Eph. 4:4-6). If God has willed to save and sanctify us all united in Christ, joining us in Him as one body, giving us one vocation, one faith, one hope, and being Himself Father of all, how can we pretend to be saved and sanctified by separating ourselves from one another?

If we do not wish to frustrate God’s plan, if we do not wish to endanger our salvation and sanctification, we must be ready for any personal sacrifice in order to maintain and strengthen union. Let us remember Jesus asked for us not only union, but perfect union: “that they may be made perfect in one” (Jn. 17:23).

Today’s Gospel also reinforces this call to union, since in it Jesus repeats that the commandment of love of neighbor is, together with love of God, foundation of “the whole law,” that is, of all Christianity. Let us not let these continual appeals to charity and union fall in vain. The Church insists on these points because Jesus insisted on them, because charity “is the Lord’s precept, and if this alone is kept, it suffices” (St. John the Evangelist).

Colloquy

“O Word, Son of God, You look with greater delight upon one small work done in union and fraternal charity than upon a thousand done in disunion. More pleasing to You is one minimum action, like the blink of an eye, done in union and charity, than if I suffered martyrdom in disunion and without charity. Where union is, there are You, for You are called charity: Deus caritas est. You are called God of peace and union: Deus pacis. You are the One who puts all peace, and without You there can be no true peace or union.

“False is peace and union among sinners, nor can it last long, because since their hearts are ruled by tyranny of sin and passions, that bond among them is quickly broken, a bond weaker than a thread. Therefore from You alone, O God, comes true and perfect union, and where there is disunion, there is confusion because of sin and the devil.

“With what desire should we seek this union, and with what will should we love it! Where union is, there is every good, abundance of all things, all heavenly and earthly riches.

“O Most Holy Trinity, grant us grace to live always united with one another, keeping unity of spirit, having one same willing and feeling, emulating that indivisible unity which is among the three divine Persons” (St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi).

“Where there is love and charity, there are You, O Lord! Your love, O Christ, has gathered us into one body and one heart; grant us therefore to love one another with sincere soul. Keep quarrels and strife far from us; make our hearts always united in You, and do You remain always in our midst” (from the Liturgy).