Seventh Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

JOHN 17:20-26

I HOPE YOU FOLLOWED THAT GOSPEL. I'VE READ IT ABOUT TWENTY TIMES THIS WEEK, AND IT SEEMS TO BE PACKED WITH IDEAS, FULL OF WONDERFUL CONCEPTS AND DEEP MEANINGS. AND IT PROBABLY IS. BUT WHEN YOU STEP BACK A WAYS, YOU SEE THAT IT IS REALLY ABOUT ONE THING, ONE THING THAT JESUS SEEMS TO WANT WITH ALL HIS HEART, ONE THING THAT HE IS WILLING TO DIE FOR – THAT HIS FOLLOWERS WILL BE ONE.

WHY UNITY? ONE REASON JESUS GIVES IS SO THAT THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE FATHER HAS SENT THE SON. IF CHRISTIANS ARE IN UNITY, THEIR WITNESS TO THE WORLD IS FAR MORE POWERFUL; NOT ONLY ARE THERE UNCOUNTABLE NUMBERS OF DENOMINATIONS, BUT EVEN IN OUR OWN CHURCH, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF STRAINS AND DISAGREEMENTS. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN WITH A PRACTICING CATHOLIC, YOU CAN USUALLY UNCOVER SOME DISCONTENT – EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW THE PASTOR COULD DO SOMETHING BETTER, HOW THE PARISH COUNCIL COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE, HOW THE FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM SHOULD BE RUN. I GUESS THAT'S HUMAN. BUT THAT ISN'T UNITY, THAT ISN'T WHAT OUR LORD PRAYED FOR.

ANOTHER REASON FOR UNITY IS BECAUSE WE NEED EACH OTHER. IN THE COUNTRY OF LEBANON, WHERE THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR MILLION PEOPLE, SIXTY PERCENT ARE MOSLEM. OF THE 40% WHO ARE CHRISTIANS, THERE ARE 14 RECOGNIZED SECTS. THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER, AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOME OF THEM ARE DOWNRIGHT ANTAGONISTIC. IN 20 YEARS THE PERCENTAGE OF CITIZENS WHO ARE CHRISTIAN HAS DECREASED FROM ABOUT 55 PERCENT TO ITS CURRENT LEVEL. IS THIS CAUSE AND EFFECT? IN THIS COUNTRY, 20 YEARS AGO 8% OF THE POPULATION HAD NO AFFILIATION WITH ORGANIZED RELIGION; NOW IT'S 20%. DO BELIEVERS NEED EACH OTHER? DO BELIEVERS NEED UNITY?

IF WE ARE SEEKING UNITY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? THERE'S AN OLD STORY ABOUT TWO LITTLE CHURCHES LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET IN A SMALL TOWN. THE BILLBOARD IN FRONT OF ONE SAID “THERE AIN'T NO HELL”. THE OTHER BILLBOARD SAID, “THE HELL THERE AIN'T!” THE HUMAN RACE SPENT MOST OF PRE-HISTORY DEVELOPING A VERY STRONG SENSE OF “US” VERSUS “THEM”. MEMBERS OF TRIBES LOOKED OUT FOR EACH OTHER, AND FOUGHT WITH OTHER TRIBES. EVEN TODAY THERE ARE PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE TRIBAL AFFILIATION IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN RELIGION, NATIONALITY, OR ANYTHING ELSE. WE EVEN SEE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY GOING BACK TO THAT ANCIENT WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD. WHERE DO YOU STAND ON GUN OWNERSHIP, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, FRACKING TO REMOVE OIL AND NATURAL GAS FROM THE GROUND, GLOBAL WARMING... YOU CAN USUALLY FIND SOME TOPIC THAT WILL CAUSE TWO REASONABLE PEOPLE TO BECOME ANGRY WITH EACH OTHER. AND WE ARE ALL GUILTY; WE ALL BELIEVE THINGS THAT NO REASONABLE PERSON COULD DISAGREE WITH, RIGHT?

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT UNITY, WE CAN DRAW SOME LINES. IT CAN'T BE AT THE EXPENSE OF TRUTH. SOME PEOPLE SAY “IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE, JUST SO YOU ARE SINCERE.” THAT'S NOT CHRISTIAN. UNITY CAN'T IGNORE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. REAL UNITY MEANS THAT WE DISCUSS AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER – AND AT THE SAME TIME, UNDERSTAND OUR OWN POSITION BETTER. FINALLY, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE UNITY WITH UNIFORMITY. IN OUR CATHOLIC FAITH, THERE IS A HUGE VARIETY IN THE LEGITIMATE WAYS WE CAN BE CATHOLIC. WE SHOULD WELCOME THIS, NOT TRY TO IMPOSE A COOKIE-CUTTER SYSTEM FOR EVERYBODY.

HOW DO WE BUILD UNITY?

FIRST, WE CELEBRATE WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE THREE CHURCHES ON LONGMEADOW STREET USED TO HAVE AN ECUMENICAL SERVICE DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES, WE ALL CELEBRATED THE FACT THAT CHRIST BECAME ONE OF US. THERE IS A WONDERFUL PROLIFE ORGANIZATION CALLED THE SPRINGFIELD PREGNANCY CARE CENTER; THE VOLUNTEERS REPRESENT TEN DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS, UNITED OVER WHAT THEY DO AGREE ABOUT. HERE IN SAINT MARY'S, WE'VE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. THE TOPICS OF FAITH PROGRAM USUALLY HAS A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT, BUT THERE ARE LARGE NUMBERS OF OUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS WHO DON'T COME TO ANYTHING.

SECOND, WE RESPECT DIFFERENCES IN INTERPRETATION AND EMPHASIS. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE THAT ALL CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO CHARITY TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOR. HOW WE CARRY THIS OUT – WORKING IN A SOUP KITCHEN, DELIVERING MEALS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS, HOLDING A PICKET SIGN IN FRONT OF THE ABORTION CLINIC, OR SIMPLY SUPPORTING A CHARITY WITH OUR MONEY – IS A MATTER OF INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION OR EMPHASIS. WHEN WE SEE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS PRACTICING CHARITY, WHATEVER IT IS THEY ARE DOING, WE SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT THEY ARE DOING SO, EVEN IF WE THINK THEY COULD SPEND THEIR ENERGY MORE EFFICIENTLY.

THIRD, WE NEED TO SPEAK POSITIVELY OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE SINCERELY TRYING TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD. IT MAY NOT BE MY CUP OF TEA TO MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORE OR GUADALOUPE; I MAY NOT FEEL CALLED TO WORSHIP BY SPEAKING IN TONGUES; BUT I WELCOME AND APPLAUD ANY LEGITIMATE EXPRESSION OF FAITH.

FOURTH, WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER. DIETRICH BOENHOFFER, A LUTHERAN PASTOR WHO WAS EXECUTED IN WORLD WAR II, AS A YOUNG MINISTER WAS VERY CRITICAL NOT ONLY OF CATHOLICS BUT OF PENTECOSTAL DENOMINATIONS. LATER IN LIFE, HE SAID THAT THE MORE HE PRAYED FOR THE UNITY OF CHRISTIANS, THE LESS CRITICAL HE WAS. YOU CAN'T HATE PEOPLE YOU PRAY FOR.

JESUS LONGED FOR HIS FOLLOWERS TO BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER, SO THAT THEY COULD BE ONE WITH HIM, AND WITH THE FATHER. WHEN A HUSBAND LOSES A WIFE OR A CHILD LOSES A PARENT, THE GRIEF COMES BECAUSE THE UNITY BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE HAS BEEN DISRUPTED. JESUS WANTS THE OPPOSITE FOR US – A UNITY SO PROFOUND, SO ROOTED IN GOD HIMSELF, THAT IT CAN NEVER BE BROKEN. JESUS TALKS ABOUT GIVING US THE GLORY HE HAS BEEN GIVEN.

LET US EXAMINE OUR CONSCIENCES THIS WEEK AND CONSIDER HOW WE MIGHT BECOME ONE WITH EACH OTHER AND WHERE OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE ACTUALLY CAUSING DIVISION. AND THEN THE WORLD WILL SEE WHAT JESUS WANTED IT TO SEE – THAT THE FATHER HAS SENT HIM INTO THE WORLD TO GATHER ALL TO HIMSELF.