Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
“So that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me…”
As he continues the Last Supper discourse, Jesus emphasizes the importance of unity. He specifically prays that all might be one just as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One. It’s a very interesting and important teaching, and one that we should pay close attention to. In contrast, contemporary culture often places a nearly overwhelming degree of importance on diversity and individual identity and desires. So where is the balance point? How do we go about properly integrating all of these seemingly competing goods?
A first foundational, unifying principle is that we all have created by God and destined for unity with Him in eternal happiness. God is the Author of all good. No good can exist apart from Him. Working with this starting point, we can also take a page from St. Paul’s “many gifts but the same Spirit” exhortation in 1 Corinthians, Ch. 12. While we do exist as individuals from different cultural contexts with many wonderful God-given talents and abilities, all of our diverse gifts are meant to be placed in the service of the unity of our common mission. Above all, we are to seek union in difference as we strive to unite our individual wills with the loving will of God.