As a traveling speaker in ministry, I see an incomparable amount of beauty in our Catholic Church. I meet countless selfless people and witness incredible movements of the Lord’s hand. But I also see exactly what Saint Paul speaks about in the First Reading today—division among people according to who they follow. (1 Corinthians 3:9) I witness people speaking about the ministries or organizations they belong to, within their parishes or in the global Catholic community, sometimes with an air that the ministry they belong to or run is, in one way or another, “better,” or even “more Catholic,” than others.
Maybe you've experienced the pain of this kind of division. Maybe you know it too well. The Enemy keeps jealousy and rivalry alive and well between ministries in our Church, and this tears our Church apart.
Different ministries, organizations, clubs, and parish groups may plant seeds for people, but the mission of each one should always point back to one place—God Himself.
In the same way that Saint Paul and Apollos were simply working in unity with one another, the organizations we belong to should not divide us, but should enrich our lives of faith and bring us closer to the Lord.
We are all God’s co-workers, called to work together for the good of all people and the good of His Church. We are called to support one another in the missions we feel most led to—to support rather than tear down, to offer assistance and resources to others when we can, to celebrate the beauty of the different facets of each parish and of our greater Catholic Church.
Today, let us pray for unity in the Church as Saint Paul called for unity among those he addressed. May we be bridge-builders and peacemakers in our parishes and in our world, encouraging and supporting one another in peace, in unity, and in love—all under the bright, bold banner of our one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.
Let us pray for each other today, Sisters.
Emily Wilson-Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic musician and speaker at the hand of God. She lives out of her suitcase and travels across the world speaking to people of all ages. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to teen girls in search of their true identity, and she loves every second of it. She is the author of I Choose the Sky and Go Bravely. You can find out more about her here.
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