Bishop Mefody on Divisions

The following is my translation of a short but very timely word by Bishop Mefody of Campanie (+1974):

How many divisions we have. Divisions in societal, personal, and even ecclesiastical life. Everyone is arguing, everyone is hostile and fighting.

But we are Christians, members of a single body: if any one of us is sick or sins, it affects us all. We need to correct this sick or sinful member of our body through common effort. For this is a member of our body. We should not reject him or cut him off, but correct him jointly, heal him. This applies to the family, to the parish, to the government, and to the Church: one body and many members; one member suffers, and the entire body suffers; one member thrives, and the entire body is free and joyful.

Therefore let us strive, brethren, to take to heart the Apostle Paul's exhortation – not even an exhortation, but a plea: Now I beseech you, brethren, he writes to the Corinthians (I Cor 1:10), by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.

Let us remember above all that we are Christians, servants of God, brothers and sisters in Christ; all these divisions into parties, groups, and jurisdictions do not go beyond this earth and the meaning of life is not in them. The meaning of life is in love of God and neighbor. Lord, teach us to love!