My thoughts in recent days have been turning back to unity in the Church. With all the distress over John Corapi and the divisions that seem to have developed among some surrounding it all, I can only hope that the fractures seen are very temporary.
Today is the feast of St. Benedict, a patronal saint of Europe. In celebration of his feast day, the Church offers us a reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians which reads:
Brothers, I exhort you, a prisoner of the Lord, to live in a manner worthy of the vocation you have received, with all humility, gentleness and patience, supporting each other with love, searching to preserve unity in the Spirit in the bonds of peace.
Would it not be good for those concerned in this sad event in the American church to take to heart these words of the Apostle?
If all concerned would live with all humility, gentleness and patience?
St.Paul called himself a “prisoner of the Lord.” Is this not true for all the ordained? Indeed for all the baptized?
We belong to the Lord, not to ourselves or public opinion, and certainly not to our material possessions. The world does not own us, unless we let it.
And how do we hear the Lord, save through the Church who is his Body. And who is the Church if not those in legitimate authority over us, and those to whom we are bound by sacrament….. Our bishops and superiors, our husbands and wives.
When the Church speaks we must obey, for Christ speaks.
St. Benedict said in his Rule,
Absolutely nothing may come before Christ and thus he, in recompense, will lead us all to life eternal.
We are the most pitiable of God’s creatures if we forget this.
