Thursday of the Third week of Lent
Commentary of the day
Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr
On the unity of the Church
“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.”
No one can have God as his father if he does not have the Church as his mother… The Lord warned us of this when he said: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather together with me scatters.” The person who breaks the peace and concord of Christ acts against Christ; the person who gathers together outside of the Church scatters the Church of Christ.
The Lord said: “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30) It is also written of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: “These three are one.” (1 Jn 5:7) From now on, who can believe that the unity, which has its origin in this divine harmony, which is linked with this heavenly mystery, can be divided up in the Church… through conflicts of will? Whoever does not observe this unity neither observes the law of God nor faith in the Father and the Son; he keeps neither life nor salvation.
In the gospel, this sacrament of unity, this bond of concord in indissoluble cohesion, is shown us through the Lord’s tunic. It could neither be divided nor torn, but they drew lots so as to know who would put on Christ (Jn 19:24)… It is the symbol of unity that comes from on high.
-- Saint Luigi Orione