Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 67

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.




Saint Paul speaks to us in this passage "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is, in the strongest possible terms.

He urges us to "agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you."

Well we might ask, "Is such unity possible?" Can a church that spans geographical regions, ethnic differences, languages, generations, professions, classes and financial strata agree on anything? What if you throw in political and philosophical differences, and then gender- and sexual-preferences? Can they even agree on their common interests or common good? What do they have in common? 

They'll begin with their belief in, and love of, Jesus Christ. As they gather in prayer each week they will meet in the worship of the Lord who is Jesus Christ. If they cannot agree that Jesus is Lord, they are not a church. (Romans/10/9 and 1 Cor 12:3) 

Saint Paul used the word kyrios, the Greek word Jewish translators used for the tetragrammaton YHWH. They would not speak that Hebrew word but used kyrios in their common worship, personal prayer and conversation. We translate it as Lord, and acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as God, Christ and Lord. 

Gathering under the authority of that Name, the Church must bring a deep sense of reverence and awe. At one time, not so long ago, Catholics maintained strict silence in our churches. We entered and departed the sacred room in quiet. The only sounds from our lips were prayers and hymns. We might not keep that practice today but we must nonetheless cultivate the "Fear of the Lord" which it signified. Our agreement "in what you say" will be built upon that foundation. 

Unity will be built slowly and with enormous patience. If reverence for the Name of Jesus is the foundation of our agreement, the framework will be our willingness to be molded by the Gospel. No one -- neither the oldest nor the youngest, neither the wealthiest nor the poorest, neither the educated nor the illiterate -- owns the Gospel. "Experts" in our religion are profoundly aware of how little they comprehend. 

Willingness listens to every opinion out of respect for the person who expresses it. The opinion may be bizarre -- utterly alien to our tradition -- but the person is holy. Sometimes all I need is someone to hear me out to realize how silly my notion is. 

The Holy Spirit sifts everyone's ideas. It reveals the fears and reassures the fearful. It exposes desires and chastens the greedy, lustful and avaricious. It also allows time for misunderstandings to be identified and cleared up. Sometimes the simplest words can throw a congregation into consternation. 

Sifting as it does, the Holy Spirit counsels patience. Everything takes time and we have to be willing to take enough time. If we cannot resolve our differences during the allotted time, then we must be willing to let the differences remain until we come back together. We agree we have not yet made a decision and each individual is willing to live with that uncertainty. 

The history of our Christian doctrines shows how long it took for the Church to agree upon words like incarnation, consubstantial, and trinity. Doctrines like Immaculate Conception and Assumption, despite the infallibility of the pope, are still not accepted by all Christians (and are largely ignored by most Catholics.)  

As we discern what we should do, I think we should understand two principles, 

1. Doing nothing is better than doing the wrong thing. 
2. Doing nothing is better than doing the right thing without general agreement. 

Only fidelity to Jesus Christ is more important than our unity. If we cannot act without agreement, then we cannot act. 

...that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.

The greatest sin of the Church is our failure to heal the divisions among us. It is a scandal to our children, a disappointment to our admirers and a taunt for our opponents.

In his oft-quoted thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, Saint Paul insisted upon the charity that binds us together:

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Not even our works of charity and our magnificent liturgies can overcome the scandal of our divisions. 

...so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.