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How Valuable is Unity? "You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd, and you ought to know that I would be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of St. Peter, and of his successor the Supreme Pontiff.” These are the words of St. Josaphat, Bishop of Vitebsk (in today’s Byelorussia) in the early 17th century, turbulent times for Catholic and Orthodox relations in the Russian Empire. Bishop Josaphat was speaking the literal truth. On November 12, 1623 he was attacked by a mob angry at his work of promoting loyalty to the Holy Father. He died at their hands, struck in the head with an axe, shot, and beaten with staves. His body was thrown into the Dvina River but was later recovered; today it rests under a side altar at St. Peter’s Basilica, united in death with the supreme See of Rome for which he had given his life. Few of us will have to die for unity…but is it something we consciously live for? St. Paul shows an urgent concern that the first Christians achieve the virtue needed for true unity. “In the name of the encouragement you owe me in Christ, in the name of the solace that love can give, of fellowship in spirit, compassion, and pity, I beg you: make my joy complete by your unanimity, possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals. Never act out of rivalry or conceit; rather, let all parties think humbly of others as superior to themselves, each of you looking to others’ interests rather than to his own. Your attitude must be that of Christ: though He was in the form of God, He did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at.” (Phil. 2: 1-6) Unity demands loyalty. It demands clear thinking and accurate priorities. Sometimes it demands putting aside the ego. And it always demands charity: “Such as My love has been for you, so must your love be for each other. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn. 13:35) “To love is to live according to His commandments: this is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, to live a life of love.” (2 Jn. 5:6) “Do everything with love” (1 Cor. 16:14). Believing and spreading the truths of the Catholic Church is good, but more is required than this alone. Professing the truth with love is essential. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder.” (Jms 2:19). Satan believes the truths of the faith, but he is in hell because of his lack of humility and charity. “Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin; and no town, no household divided against itself can stand.” (Mt. 12:25) The gospel is full of examples of the Pharisees and others who knew their faith very well but had no humility or charity in their hearts. Unity is where brotherly love meets faith in the Father. Fraternal charity can’t exist without unity, and knowledge of the truths of the faith, without unity, turns out to be nothing more than a sterile intellectual exercise. We must be loyal even if we have to suffer. Loyalty is the virtue of the great souls and it inspires to carry the cross like Jesus: “You will suffer in the world. But take courage! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33) St. Paul talks about unanimity founded on “the one love,” and a oneness of spirit and ideals; he shows how it comes from humility and leads to charity, compassion, joy, and solace. That’s how important it was to him. Even when he was in prison, with so much to worry about, unity still remained uppermost in his mind: “I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:1-4) And St. Peter says: “Before all things I recommend to you charity and unbroken union with one another.” (1 Ptr. 4:8) Only when we are willing to let the Divine Person of “Christ Our God, Lover of men and Benefactor of our souls” (from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) take over all our small human persons, then unity, harmony, and peace will heal our divisions, antagonisms, petty bickering, and wounded egos. “Having asked for the unity of the faith and for the fellowship of the Holy Spirit let us commend ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.” (Divine Liturgy) |