Faith That Unites

I remember watching Miss Universe Pageant where Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup was asked “Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love?”

Of course, with competence and utmost brilliance she answered: “If I had to change my religious beliefs, I would not marry the person I love; because the first person I love is God who created me. And I have my faith, my principles and this is what makes me who I am. So if a man loves me, he should also love my God.”

Unfortunately, a world which has preconditioned answer to such question, a world which has reservations to religion and faith, saw it unpopular and relegated her only 3rd runner up.

I think this answer summarizes my homily today because it captures the fundamental truths which the Gospel would like us to see clearly.

That two persons who do not believe in the same sense of God,

-who do not believe in the same sense of the mystery of God,

-who could not believe in the same form of worship or in sacraments,

-who do not believe in the same revelation and expression of God, could not be united in spirit, heart and mind; for they might not agree to the same notion of the sacred. However, respect for the other is always noble.

The union of the Father and the Son is the perfect union, and thus the ideal relationship. (Spirit being the operative word.)

Yes, they may physically and emotionally be united, [some may even call it a good marriage or relationship] but may not always be spiritually bonded. The spiritual connection may not be reciprocal and sharing of faith becomes limited. In marriage, and in any form of relationship spiritual boundedness is the primordial essence of the union. Physicality comes secondary. This is because what is at stake is not just which God or gods do we believe in or which interpretation about God do we accept, or do we believe in God at all. The question about weather we believe in God will always beg the question of the mystery this God stands upon, the mystery of God Himself.

One could always believe in the universal notion of God, but may not in God-made-man, but not in God-in-three-persons, but not in God-born-virginal-birth. We could believe in God but not in His mystery, like trusting the person infront of us, without believing to his story or his past.

If a married couple would not believe actively and proactively in the same sense of God, the marriage may be successful in many areas but this. They may reconcile many differences but not on the level of faith. If a faith is proactive and really lived by one person, this discrepancy and gap would be felt all the more around the relationship. They may live with it or even pretend such void don't exist, everything becomes relative. To respect a partner of different religion or faith is always noble and mature, but there is always an ounce of compromise in respect. People say in relationships there must be compromises and they seem to like compromises as they appear, but we must reflect on the word "compromise" itself more. Some find it sweet, but compromise is a blindside, or a greyscale.

Why? Because faith is a system of fundamental convictions, principles, values and morals. For some, faith is a way of life. Faith, next to love is unitive. But it can also be divisive. Faith could be the expression of our humanity and the celebration of ourselves but it could also be a means to highlight differences. Can they still live together? Yes of course, but I doubt it is barely about union and more of a truce. Truce is not unity, it is compromise. Common interests cannot unite, they are just compromises, and compromises do not help relationships; self-giving do.

In our first reading we will hear Paul’s trial whereby he is accused and is condemned because of his faith and hope for the resurrection of the dead. The Saducees do not believe in the resurrection, but the Pharisees do. They were divided by faith despite having the same interest, -to persecute Paul. Di sila magkasundo kasi magkaiba sila ng pinaniniwalaan. Hindi maiintindihan ng mga saduceo ang hiwaga ng muling pagkabuhay. However, they have one common interest that is to persecute Paul. But this interest is not enough to make them one community of believers.

Our Gospel for today is the high Christological Prayer of Jesus and it presents 3 kinds of unities.

1. THE UNITY IN THE FATHER AND THE SON: The Unity born out of love.

Jesus prays to the Father that his disciples may be one in the name of their divine unity. It is not just the same as ordinary unity of people and nations as we know it but a unity in Jesus and the Father.

This unity is the perfect unity, it is the perfection in unity, because it engenders, it is the unity that engendered the Holy Spirit. (This is the reason we profess the faith in the Holy Spirit as who proceeds from the Father and the Son.)

2. THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD: The Unity born out of faith.

Ideally, we are united in one banner of faith, one Baptism, one hope and one way of life which is the love of God. Nothing else.

3. THE UNITY BETWEEN HUMANITY AND GOD: The Unity born out of hope.

Our relationship with God is all about the relationship of a Child to a parent. We became children of God through Jesus Christ. The child-parent relationship is all about hope and trust, hope for providence and salvation and trust for guidance and continued care. We hope in God for his care and the promise of Salvation.

Let me share a cute story about our congregation:

The three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen live in harmony despite having many differences: cultures, backgrounds, nationalities, influences to the envy of other congregations.

I still remember the cute stories in University of San Carlos in Cebu before the war. People and employees from the university would remember American and German SVDs shouting and arguing each other, but during the war, when the community was raided by American Allied forces, the American SVDs would hide the German SVDs to safety. And when one time the community was raided by the German axis powers, the German SVDs hid the American SVD and lied about seeing any American in the place.

This is because we have the same faith, same values, we have the same roots, we have the same vision set forth by the founder himself. He designed each congregation to withstand differences and embrace diversity.

Let us pray that the world will be united again in the Father and in Jesus,

-that out communities would inspire unity among the people,

-that love will reign in our hearts despite differences and struggles,

-that the world will believe again,

-that our faith will be strengthened by our unity,

and that the world will hope in God again.

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R E A D I N G S

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FIRST READING | Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth

   about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,

   the commander freed him

   and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.

Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,

   so he called out before the Sanhedrin,

   “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;

   I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”

When he said this,

   a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,

   and the group became divided.

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection

   or angels or spirits,

   while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.

A great uproar occurred,

   and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party

   stood up and sharply argued,

   “We find nothing wrong with this man.

Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

The dispute was so serious that the commander,

   afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,

   ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst

   and take him into the compound.

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.

For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,

   so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM | Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;

   I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,

   you it is who hold fast my lot.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;

   even in the night my heart exhorts me.

I set the LORD ever before me;

   with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,

   my body, too, abides in confidence;

Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,

  nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

You will show me the path to life,

   fullness of joys in your presence,

   the delights at your right hand forever.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

GOSPEL | Jn 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:

“I pray not only for these,

   but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

   so that they may all be one,

   as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

   that they also may be in us,

   that the world may believe that you sent me.

And I have given them the glory you gave me,

   so that they may be one, as we are one,

   I in them and you in me,

   that they may be brought to perfection as one,

   that the world may know that you sent me,

   and that you loved them even as you loved me.

Father, they are your gift to me.

I wish that where I am they also may be with me,

   that they may see my glory that you gave me,

   because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,

   but I know you, and they know that you sent me.

I made known to them your name and I will make it known,

   that the love with which you loved me

   may be in them and I in them.”