“In unity there is strength,” is a famous saying from an old fable we’d all love to hear in the crushing events of life. A story shows a father and his sons who were quarreling over power and money. The father called his sons and showed them a bundle of sticks, while trying to break it. He couldn’t break the bundled sticks. Next, the father showed one stick and broke it easily, until all the individual sticks were broken. Here, the sons understood what unity meant. And from then on, they did not quarrel anymore.
In the Holy Bible, it shows a clear example how the body works. One body works perfect with all the parts together – the eyes, the hands, the feet, the mind. Such are also the gifts and talents that each one of us has. In work and service, we have the various vocations working together for a community. Take for example, a nation: it has a leader, a government, the health workers, the teachers, the traders, the students, the parents, the garbage collectors, and all the public and private sectors that move lives everyday. We are all parts of that one body. And whether we like it or not GOD created us to be united and be happy. Collaboration is unity.
Bible expert Fr. John Lucas RCJ, during the annual gathering of the Rogate Family, highlighted the theme “Unity,” among the Rogate family and compared it to Jesus’ Apostles breaking of the bread. “The essential elements of unity are faith, worship, and service,” Father John assented.
From the quotes of St. Hannibal Mary Di Francia (Patron Saint of Vocations), “The community is unable to please God, to improve, to produce fruits -unless it is enlivened by charity and union of the hearts.” Also, Pope Benedict XVI focuses on unity of the church. He even got to visit the Muslims, and joined the Jews in their prayer on the Western Wall.
Truly, unity is the acceptance of the other, and working for the good of the community. Fr. John gave a challenge in this question: Am I a collaborative person?
If there are still doubts in the answer, the Rogationist Family believes in the love of Christ that unites.
Again, remember “Caritas Christi Iunget Nos;” the love of Christ unites us.
http://roseprayers.blogspot.com
Rose Flores – Martinez
December 28, 2009
