In the second reading we are seeing from Paul’s letter a description of what Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection. In order to understand this, we might want to remind ourselves what is God’s greatest desire? It is the unity of His people.

Here in the second reading, we see Paul teach us that Jesus destroyed the separation between the Jews and the Gentiles, by destroying the law which was the wall of separation. In its place, He gave all access to the Holy Spirit. So we are united in Christ through His Holy Spirit.

The Lord despises and rejects all forms of disunity and the Devil thrives on it.

So St. Paul teaches us that with the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ the law is destroyed. This law, which applied specifically to the Jews created a wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles which are simply non-Jews were always outside the Jewish community for many reasons not the least of which is they were not under the law. Therefore, throughout the Old Testament we see the reminders of this separation. However, the prophets always proclaimed that the day would come when that separation would end. This is what Jesus accomplished according to St. Paul. Now in Christ, we have the unity in Christ. We have One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. This means we also have one mission.

Now, we have a new form of unity and disunity. Those in Christ and those outside of Christ. We see daily these reminders of this separation. Secularists reject Christianity and Catholicism especially. The new disunity is this line. Those rooted in Christ and those who reject Christ. However, among those who are rooted in Christ, we are called to be united as one followers of Christ in the Holy Spirit.

There can no longer be and us and them in the Catholic Church, regardless who us and them may be. If we are all united in Christ, we need to be rooted in Him and see each other as members of the one faith.

This is the point of Paul’s message and it is the point of Pentecost. Our unity is in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Always be aware of those who want to create separation and be aware of those tendencies within ourselves that want to create an us and them mentality.

We may be in a Church that has cultural differences, but our faith is one that unites us. If we have any work to do in this Church and I am talking across the world, it  is realizing that our cultural differences do not transcend our faith and our faith community of the Catholic Church. We all believe the same thing.

Therefore, you and I have a calling to see each other as Catholics first and our respective cultures second. That does not mean that we ignore culture at all, but St. Paul reminds us that if one person in the Church suffers for the faith, the whole Church suffers.

I am reminded of the story of the woman upset that the Vietnamese here in the Archdiocese celebrated their martyrs in her Church. The Vietnamese community picks a different Church with a Vietnamese community to celebrate their martyrs. They bring a great shrine and it can remain in the Church for a few days. Once an english speaking woman complained to me about the Vietnamese celebrating their martyrs in her church. That is a sin against unity. For they were martyred for being Catholic. They were martyred for living the faith we all profess, therefore, the celebration of the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs was not one of them, but one of us, fellow Catholics who gave their lives for the faith. This is the call to which Paul speaks. We are not us and them, we are us.

Our culture will always separate us, but our faith unites us.

When I was in the Navy, I found that the farther one got from the United States, the more one identified with Americans. So when I was in Hong Kong, we met a woman who was an American singer from San Francisco. We instantly identified with her, because she was American, but in reality, if we were back in the states, we probably would never have met, for we would never have a reason to meet.

Our Catholic faith calls us to the same level, as we are pilgrims in this world to the next. As pilgrims we are united by our faith even though culturally we may be radically different.

Here in this parish we have the two communities, who believe the same thing. There is a call to share that faith even though we do not share that culture.

When I lived in Long Beach California I attended a church in nearby San Pedro, California, one of the most famous cities in the state, although most of you may not have heard of it. San Pedro is to this day the home of the Pacific Princess and the origin city for that legendary ride in the Hot Rod Lincoln.

In any case, there was a parish there called whose community was filled with people who were ethnically Serbians and others who were ethnically Croatians. This was in the 1980’s. I remember saying to one of the parishioners that since they were from the same area, they must be basically united. She looked at me and said “No, No No.” The Catholics were united where if they were not Catholics, their culture would have divided them. They found unity in their faith.

Always be aware of anyone who seeks separation, who calls you to turn from the unity in the Church, who tells you to reject the Pope. Always support those who seek to bring unity to the Church.

Presently there is a move by Pope Benedict XVI to bring unity between the Church and the Society of St. Pius the Tenth which  is the separated Church formed by Archbishop LeFebvre. The goal of the Pope is always to bring unity. If people reject unity, then they go against the Holy Spirit. This is what St. Paul reminds us about, that we are united in Christ by the Holy Spirit, we are not called to be separated by culture or even doctrine. Change must happen within us to work for unity and only unity, never embrace separation. God wants more than anything else the unity of His people.

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