Unity In Love

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Easter Feria

Today's Readings:
[ Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Ps 16; Jn 17:20-26 ]

In today’s Gospel, Jesus prays not only for his disciples, but for all who will come to believe through them: “that they may all be one”. This prayer comes not in a moment of triumph, but on the edge of suffering. Jesus knows betrayal, fear, and the Cross are near, and yet his heart turns outward in love. He prays for communion—for a people knit together in God.

In Acts, Paul stands before a divided council, caught between factions of Sadducees and Pharisees. The situation is tense, even dangerous. Yet in the midst of confusion, the Lord stands near Paul and says, “Keep up your courage!”. God’s presence does not erase conflict, but strengthens faith within it.

Franciscan spirituality invites us to see unity not as sameness, but as harmony in diversity. St. Francis embraced lepers, preached peace in divided towns, and called all creation brother and sister. He understood that unity grows not from winning arguments, but from humility, mercy, and shared belonging in God. Jesus prays for oneness rooted in divine love: “you have loved them even as you have loved me”. We are united not because we think alike, but because we are beloved.

Psalm 16 echoes this trust: “I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved”. Like Paul, we may find ourselves in divided spaces—families strained, communities fractured, churches unsettled. It is tempting to retreat into camps or harden our hearts. But Christ prays something deeper for us. He prays that we remain in love.

Perhaps today’s invitation is to become a small instrument of reconciliation. To listen before speaking. To seek understanding before victory. To remember that the person across from us is also one for whom Christ prayed.

For the God who stood beside Paul still stands beside us, patiently drawing all things toward unity in love.

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