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E Pluribus Unum |
The Community at Prayer
Reflection by Father Paul M. Baca
Most Holy Trinity Sunday, June 19, 2011
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E Pluribus Unum |
Since I went to the seminary in 1940, the feast of the Most Holy Trinity has always been a challenge and always led to a lot of reflection. The reason for it, I believe, is that the first time I heard of the Most Holy Trinity in my catechism, the concept of it being a mystery and beyond comprehension for us made me wonder whether there was anything useful in thinking about it if I was ever going to comprehend its meaning. But soon I realized that even though we do not understand mysteries, there is a lot to be learned about life, faith and God that can be very helpful in our understanding of God's will. The first lesson I learned was that there are many things in life that I will never fully comprehend, but nonetheless I have much to learn from my efforts in trying to understand them.
As of late I have read several articles that pointed out the importance of unity and was reminded of the many instances in my priestly life when we as a parish were able to accomplish what seemed to be impossible such as paying off parish debts, running a grade school and high school with little possible revenue, or building a school or parish plant. But as I look back, once the parish united, and with God's help, all of the above were accomplished.
The feast of the Most Holy Trinity is about unity, three persons, one God leading us to the prayer of Jesus, "That they may be one as we are one, and that they may be one in us." I remembered a passage in the Document On The Church Today which I really liked. "God, who as our loving mother and father, has concern for everyone and has willed that all should constitute one family and treat another in that spirit. For having been created in the image of God, who from one has created the whole human race and made them live all over the face of the earth, all are called to one and the same goal: namely God himself. For this reason, love for God and neighbor is the first and greatest commandment. Sacred scripture, however, teaches us that the love of God cannot be separated from love of neighbor. If there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself ...'; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. To people growing daily in the concept of globalization, and the resulting interdependence proves that this concept of unity and love becomes of paramount importance."
I believe that every one of us who make an effort to stay informed realizes the damage and destruction that result from the concept of 'us and them.' How does this happen when our national motto of E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of many, one", was the dictum on the Seal of the United States adopted in 1782? When we forget the spirit and concept expressed in that dictum, we will have winners and losers and in so many ways, when some lose, we all lose.
I like to think that if we really appreciated the importance of unity, we as a church, as a nation, could accomplish so much more for the common good. It is true that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. I believe we should listen to each other, but we should never be duped by anyone spinning the facts. I love to read the scriptures and especially the gospels, but when I encounter conflicting opinions I find solace in the words of Jesus about unity. I like to find reasons, rational reasons that is, to agree with others rather than disagree just to make my point. Real unity will always point to justice and peace.