Critics of the Church often accuse Her of all sorts of scandal, politics, and power struggles.

Well, they’re right!

The Church today and through the years has been filled with disunity. We can’t pretend these problems haven’t been there in the past or that they don’t pose a challenge for us still. We have to acknowledge that when we are divided by politics, power, money, or even just our personal preferences it is a scandal!

However, that doesn’t mean we are not called to strive for the ideal. Jesus prayed that we would all be one as He and the Father are one. THAT is a challenge!

We are a Church made of people—sinners—every last one of us! But the Church is holy because Christ, her head is holy. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. To have unity in the Body of Christ makes real-life, practical demands on how we live. It’s something that takes sacrifice, patience, and love.

Am I a source of unity among my family, friends, parish? It requires us to bear others’ faults, understand their challenges, but still speak the truth in charity, and invite them to do the same for us.

Really living with unity in our homes and parishes isn’t easy, but Jesus chose to call a tax collector, a fisherman, and a zealot to follow Him. He knew it would be hard.