Bp. Morlino: "Praying for, focusing on unity in the Church"

St. John Lateran

Doing our part to build up unity

Each of us can do our own part by first remaining close to Jesus and united to His Church. And the Catechism reminds us what the bonds of unity are: 1) Charity, which “binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14),” 2) the profession of one faith received from the Apostles, 3) the common celebration of divine worship, especially the Sacraments, and 4) Apostolic succession.

We build up unity first by attempting, always and everywhere, to put on charity over all things. Love one another, as Christ has loved us! There may be disagreements among us, but we handle them always in a way which seeks the good of the other.

Second, we remain unified by professing the one faith, which has been received from the Apostles and maintained as the Deposit of the Faith. Be mindful of those teachings of the Church which are essential, and even when there is doubt, work to have that “faith seeking understanding,” of which St. Anselm spoke.

Third, we must continue to worship together in a way that fosters unity. This requires that we are constantly mindful of our own failings, and that we seek to find reconciliation through, and for, the worthy reception of the Sacraments.

Finally, we return once again to that theme of Apostolic succession. We recall that no matter how flawed our bishops are (and our priests as their cooperators), that the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the particular gifts promised to the Apostles (and their successors) provide an essential means of maintaining fraternal concord in God’s family. We cannot maintain unity in the Church without remaining united to the bishops, in unity with one another, and the Pope with charity over all, with a firm foundation in the Truths of our faith, and with unity of worship.

So let’s pray for and focus upon unity -- upon oneness of hearts and minds -- and let’s do our part to build up that unity, remaining grounded in the truths of our Faith, in our worship and reception of the Sacraments, in the Apostolic teaching, and -- on top of it all -- in charity.

full article at MadCatHerald