One Shepherd, One Fold: The Unity of the Church

The readings for this homily

Jesus no longer walked about in public, hiding behind the veil because the people of God were not spiritually seeing Him. They were still viewing reality with worldly, materialistic eyes. The chief priests and Pharisees feared that if everyone proclaimed Jesus King, the Romans would crush their nation and take away their land. Ironically, they were partially correct; in 70 A.D., the temple was destroyed, and the Jews were dispersed. Yet, Jesus was offering a way out of this fear by establishing not a worldly kingdom, but a spiritual one that would bring true peace by grafting all nations into the Tree of Jesse.

Jesus came to gather the dispersed children of God—not just the Israelites, but all who are predestined for heaven. He established a new Israel, founded not on the twelve tribes of old, but on the twelve Apostles. As seen in Revelation, the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem rest on twelve foundation stones bearing the names of the Apostles. This foundation endures forever. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord promised a new Exodus, gathering His people from all nations to make them one nation with one prince: Christ, the Son of David. He is the one Shepherd for them all.

In the Old Testament, when a king left on a mission, he gave his keys to his steward. Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven to His steward, Peter, the Rock upon which the Church is built. Peter’s successor, the Pope, and the successors of the Apostles, the bishops, continue to shepherd the faithful. There is to be no division. Never again shall there be two nations or two kingdoms. The Church is one, completely united in the Holy Spirit. Just as a soul animates a body, the Holy Spirit unites the many members of the Church. When members are paralyzed by mortal sin, they hang limply, but they can be cured through repentance and confession.

Despite this divine design, divisions persist. Since the Protestant Reformation, there have been countless splits. In the United States alone, there are over 1,200 denominations; worldwide, estimates exceed 30,000. Each claims the Holy Spirit guides them, yet the Holy Spirit is not a relativist or schizophrenic. He is the bond of love and truth. True unity requires one form of worship, one set of sacraments, one faith, and one government. Diversity is beautiful, but it must not mean division.

We cannot fall into the error of Caiaphas, who viewed things materially. The high priesthood was meant to be for life, yet corruption led to yearly rotations. Jesus wants us to see beyond worldly eyes. He established a new covenant, an everlasting one based on His body and blood. Christ is the new Temple; we are temples of God. God no longer dwells in a geographical location like Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation unveils this new age where God dwells in the Church, the Body of Christ.

We must stay within the boat, the Bark of Peter, as we journey to our promised land. Amidst global division, we must remember Our Lady, who kept her children united just as she formed the Body of Christ in her womb. Saint Maximilian Kolbe taught that if we do not want Mary as our mother, we cannot have Christ as our brother. Saint Cyprian of Carthage added that if we want God as our Father, we must have the Church as our mother. May we remain united as one body, diverse yet one, under the one Shepherd who leads us to our one Father in heaven.