SAINT ISIDORE (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Holy Father, keep them in your name . . . , so that they may be one just as we are one. 

When we are baptized into the body of Christ, we receive a new family, united in love with our heavenly Father. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that the source of that unity is God himself!

Yet we all know that living as brothers and sisters fully united in Christ, while beautiful in theory, is easier said than done. In our families and parishes, each of us brings our own experiences, opinions, and personalities to the table. Discord and clashes are bound to happen.

That’s why we need to turn to our heavenly Father, who is the ultimate standard-bearer in our quest for unity. Here’s how one Christian author described this unity: “One hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other. They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.”

So if God the Father is like our tuning fork, then one sure way to live in unity with our sisters and brothers in Christ is to yield to him. For example, as we surrender our thinking to God in prayer, we begin to view our spouse or children the way that God does; we recognize their gifts or see their point of view instead of focusing solely on their faults. As we read Scripture, our hearts are stirred by God’s call to forgive. When we receive God’s mercy, we become more merciful with the people in our parishes.

In fact, every time we stop and listen to God during the day, we can realign our hearts with his and find unity with the members of his family. Even in a moment of tension, we can pause and listen to him rather than reacting out of our fallen nature.

Of course, it’s not always easy. Because of our sinfulness, we are often “out of tune” with the Lord. But God desires unity for us, and Jesus himself is praying for us! With every effort we make to yield to him, he will bring us closer to one another.

“Thank you, Father, for knitting us together as one family.”

Acts 20:28-38
Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36
John 17:11-19