20250605 UNITY AS THE FOUNDATION OF EFFECTIVE EVANGELIZATION
05 June 2025, Thursday, 7th Week of Easter
First reading |
Acts 22:30,23:6-11 |
'You have borne witness in Jerusalem: now you must do the same in Rome'
Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. The shouting grew louder, and some of the scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?’ Feeling was running high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress.
Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11 |
Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.’
Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.
Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn16:7,13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will lead you to the complete truth.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn17:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
With them in you and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 17:20-26 |
Father, may they be completely one
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’
UNITY AS THE FOUNDATION OF EFFECTIVE EVANGELIZATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; John 17:20-26]
In Roman law, which was based on justice, the matter of a case had to be decided on the basis of facts. For this reason, since the Jews seemed to have a case against Paul, the tribune called for a meeting of the Sanhedrin to determine the precise charge they had against him. The Sanhedrin, composed of both Sadducees and Pharisees, was divided: the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, nor in angels or spirits, while the Pharisees accepted all three. Aware of this fundamental difference, Paul began his defense by claiming, “It is on account of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
We must not think that Paul was being cunning by basing his defense on this belief; rather, this was the very belief that separated Christianity from mainstream Judaism. For the Pharisees, belief in the resurrection of the dead referred to an event that would occur at the end of history. But for Christians, the resurrection had already been anticipated in Jesus. By raising this contentious issue, Paul caused a division between the Sadducees and Pharisees. “The shouting grew louder, and some of the scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?'”
This incident highlights the importance of unity in the work of evangelization. Before Jesus returned to the Father, His priestly prayer focused primarily on the unity of His disciples. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: “Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.” Unity with the Lord must be expressed in both teaching and fellowship. Non-believers will come to faith in Jesus not only through our words, but also through our unity in charity and love.
Indeed, without unity, our witnessing will be less effective. After washing the feet of His disciples, the Lord said, “I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you also should love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34f) In the early Church, many were converted not merely by what they preached, but by the love believers had for one another. “Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they sold their possessions and goods and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, they spent much time together in the temple, broke bread at home, and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:43-47) The Lord has said earlier on after washing the feet of His disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:34f)
Today even in our churches, although we profess the same faith, this faith is not lived out in our community. When our supposedly union with God does not bring about a corresponding union with our fellowmen, this kind of faith is suspect. For as St John wrote, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (1 Jn 4:20f)
The truth is that, often, it is not doctrines that divide us and make us less effective in our witnessing, but the lack of authentic friendship and love among our fellow Catholics. It is the gossiping, competition for power, glory and recognition, selfishness and intolerance, lack of generosity and compassion that destroy us. When there is no real fellowship in the Church, faith is reduced to merely an individual relationship between God and me. Unfortunately, this is how many Catholics conduct themselves. They come to church to seek for God’s help, but not to share in His life and love.
This is why it is important that we return to basics and build faith communities where Catholics can come together in smaller groups to share their faith, lives, and love for one another. We must not let Catholics journey alone in their faith. Regardless of which ministry or organization they belong to, they must be inserted into a small faith community where they can share deeply, inspire, and enlighten one another through the Word of God. This personal sharing of faith will lead to a greater communion of life and fellowship. Only then can we truly experience the incarnated love of Christ in our lives.
Truly the unity of the Church cannot be built on large, anonymous congregations. The Church is a family of families. When faith communities come together, we form a parish. When parishes gather together, we form the local Church. And when local churches come together, we form the Catholic Church. But we must first begin with the small faith community – the cell group – if the larger group is to flourish. This is particularly important to young people. It is said that “Birds of a feather flock together”. In our current situation, where many young people come from single or two-child families, there is a deep hunger for support, friendship and love. The Church must provide a safe environment where they can share their life and their faith under the mentorship of more mature leaders. Indeed, if we were to examine why some young people are so passionate about their faith and deeply involved in Church, it is often not because of shared doctrines, but because of the love and fellowship they have found.
Of course, shared doctrines are also important – especially faith in Jesus as the Risen Lord and in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. But this makes sense only if they also experience His presence in their lives. Hence, it is the combination of a shared faith in the Lord and authentic fellowship that attracts and retains members.
Unity in a group is rooted in a common faith in the Lord. This faith, and the Word of God, provide us the inspiration and guidance to live and act in accordance with Christ’s example. The Lord said, “I have given them the glory you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them even as you loved me.” When our fellowship is founded on a common love for the Lord and union with Him, we will be empowered to love one another as He has loved us.
Nevertheless, it is not enough to work for unity within our Catholic Church. There is also the important work of ecumenism. We need to work with non-Catholic Christians as well. Although we might differ from them in certain doctrines and liturgical practices, we have much in common. Even if we do not, at least we share the same faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and the Bible as the inspired Word of God. We might not agree in the exact interpretation of certain texts in the bible, but we all believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, that He is the Son of God. With many Christians, we share belief in the sacrament of baptism — and with some, even in the Eucharist and Confirmation. Although the way we worship may differ, we all worship the same Lord. While doctrinal differences exist, we all agree that as Christians we are all called to love one another — and to love beyond our own communities.
So, as we work towards mutual understanding of each other’s practices and beliefs, we should thank God for our common faith in Christ. We should learn to accept that unity is not uniformity, and is often expressed in diversity because of different historical circumstances when faith was born. Ultimately, salvation is through faith in Christ. This is all that matters. The sacraments are means of sharing more intimately in the life of Christ. More importantly, our faith must be seen in actions and in works of charity. As St Paul says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.” (Gal 5:6) Let us therefore love each other like brothers and sisters in the Lord. In this way, we will fulfil the command of the Lord to work together in unity for the greater glory of God.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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