June 5: Unity / Unidad

Did you know that the Hebrew word for “pharisee” existed before the group known as the Pharisees did? The Hebrew root means “to break, separate, or divide.” The group which came to be known as the Pharisees prided itself on being separate from the other leaders within Judaism and from their fellow Jews in general. Don’t we all have a little “pharisee” in us? Don’t we all want to be separate, unique, and independent? And yet, in John 17, 20-26, Jesus prays at the Last Supper: “Father, that they may become completely one.”

Jesus calls unity the most characteristic mark of His disciples, a vital goal of true faith. Again, He prayed: “That they may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” Throughout His entire public ministry, the Lord urged his followers toward a shared vision of goodness, kindness, peace, and justice. Basically, the unity He prayed for was to be modeled upon that of the Holy Trinity. In effect, our bond to each other has to come from the deepest source of unity: our unity with God, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

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En el Evangelio de San Juan (17, 20-26), Jesús ora para que sus discípulos y los que creerán en Él a través de su palabra sean uno, como Él y el Padre son uno. Esta oración refleja su deseo de que la unidad entre los creyentes sea un testimonio para el mundo de que Dios lo envió. Jesús también desea que los creyentes puedan experimentar el amor de Dios y estar con Él en la gloria.

¿Para qué tenemos que estar unidos? Para poder ver la gloria de Dios. Unidos a Jesús y unidos entre nosotros podemos estar con Él y contemplar la gloria que el Padre le ha dado. Esta gloria, que se refiere al poder y la majestad de Dios, debe ser compartida con sus seguidores. Conociendo a Jesús, conocemos al Padre. Este conocimiento, basado en la revelación de Dios a través de Jesús, debe ser el fundamento de nuestra vida y de nuestra misión.