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IMMACULATE CONCEPTION UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC

CHURCH

ПАРАФІЯ НЕПОРОЧНОГО ЗАЧАТТЯ ПРЕЧИСТОЇ

ДІВИ МАРІЇ 745 SOUTH BENTON STREET

PALATINE, ILLINOIS 60067-7116 ПАРОХ - FR. MYKHAILO KUZMA – PASTOR

(847) 991-0820 e-mail: frmykhailo@att.net web page: icshrine.org СОТРУДНИК – FR. YAROSLAV MENDYUK – ASSOCIATE PASTOR

(224) 801-1907 е-mail: ymendyuk@gmail.com

6ТА НЕДІЛЯ ПІСЛЯ П’ЯТДЕСЯТНИЦІ 12 ЛИПНЯ, 2020

«НЕХАЙ ДУХ СВЯТИЙ НАВЧИТЬ НАС У ЦЕЙ НЕПРОСТИЙ ЧАС МОЛИТИСЯ З ЦЕРКВОЮ І В ЦЕРКВІ», – БЛАЖЕННІШИЙ

СВЯТОСЛАВ У ВІДЕОПРОЄКТІ Християнин не є відокремленою чи закритою на собі особою, яка живе своїм приватним, глибоко-особистим життям. Бути християнином означає

бути членом спільноти. На цьому наголосив Глава УГКЦ у 8-му випуску проєкту «Живого телебачення» «Блаженніший Святослав:

#доступно_про_важливе», в якому Глава Церкви пояснив важливість участі у спільній молитві, зокрема Літургії.

«На жаль, у сучасному світі прийнято вважати, що релігія – це приватна справа,

про яку не потрібно говорити в суспільстві чи згадувати у спілкуванні з людьми.

Натомість правда про те, ким є християнин, показує, що всі ми спасаємося як члени

Божого люду. Тому бути християнином означає бути членом спільноти», – зазначив

архиєрей.

Блаженніший пояснив, що навіть молячись наодинці, християнин має почуватися

частиною церковної спільноти. А під час зібрання на спільну молитву – відчувати,

що в одну спільноту християни об’єднуються лише завдяки дії Святого Духа, який є

учителем справжньої молитви.

Глава УГКЦ також пояснив, чому ми називаємо Божественну Літургію Службою

Божою. «Під час Літургії сам Син Божий сходить із небес до зібраних в Його ім’я,

щоб їм послужити. І тому, оскільки ми маємо багато особистих потреб, ран чи

якихось нерозв’язаних питань, саме Божественна Літургія є найкращим моментом,

щоб представити Богові все, що так нас непокоїть», – сказав Блаженніший

Святослав і додав, що перебувати разом на молитві під час Божественної Літургії є

природним способом бути Церквою.

На завершення катехизи Глава УГКЦ наголосив на тому, що у нинішній час

карантину дуже важливо усвідомити саме спільнотний вимір Церкви, і запросив усіх

(продовження на ст. 4)

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SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (FEAST OF MOTHER OF GOD OF PERPETUAL HELP)

JULY 12, 2020 ПОРЯДОК БОГОСЛЖЕНЬ (13го до 26го липня, 2020)

ОRDER OF SERVICES (July 13th to 26th, 2020)

Понеділок – Mon. 13 8:00 A.M. Ron (B-day) & Andrea Andres - family Special Intention

Вівторок – Тues. 14 8:00 A.M. +Diane Storkel - family Середа – Wed. 15 7:00 P.M. +Stephen Storkel - family

Четвер – Thurs. 16 8:00 A.M. +Hryhoriy & Natalia Lozynskyj & Adrian Komarynskyj – Luba Lukomskyj

П’ятниця – Fri. 17 8:00 A.M. +Helen Rettmuller (40th day P) Субота – Sat. 18 9:00 P.M. +Mykola – Vitalily Tymkiw

Special Intention Неділя – Sunday 19 8:30 A.M. for our parishioners

10:00 A.M. +Annabelle Lucille - family 11:30 A.M. Special Intention

Понеділок – Mon. 20 ВЕЛИКИЙ ПРОРОК ІЛІЯ – ELIJAH THE GREAT PROPHET 8:00 A.M. +Ivan Kocko – Orysia Yoder

Вівторок – Тues. 21 8:00 A.M. +Nykola Abramiuk (P)

+Rosalia Symbaj (P) - Maksymchuk family Середа – Wed. 22 7:00 P.M. Oleh & Marta Kuzma – family

Special Intention Четвер – Thurs. 23 7:00 P.M. +Stephen Storkel - family

П’ятниця – Fri. 24 8:00 A.M. +Eustachius Shewchuk (P) – Irka Shewchuk +Petro Nishko (P) – Ludwin family

Anna Guralchuk – Luba Lukomskyj Субота – Sat. 25 9:00 P.M. Special Intention

Healing of the sick Неділя – Sunday 26 8:30 A.M. Anna Guralchuk – Luba Lukomskyj

10:00 A.M. for our parishioners

11:30 A.M. Special Intention

ВАШ ДАР БОГОВІ ТА ПАРАФІЇ – YOUR GIFT TO GOD & PARISH Неділя 5го липня / Sunday, July 5th (mail & website) - $2,359.00

Будівельний Фонд / Building Fund – $4,914.00

Варенники / Varenyky - $857.00

Поміч Україні / Assistance for Ukraine Flood Victims - $400.00

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(продовження з ст. 2)

молільників не боятися зблизитися з Богом та зі спільнотою Церкви. «Нехай Дух

Святий навчить нас у цей непростий час молитися з Церквою і в Церкві, з Христом і

в Ньому до нашого Небесного Отця», – побажав Блаженніший Святослав.

Нагадуємо, що 16 травня 2020 року в УГКЦ стартував новий

відеопроєкт «Блаженніший Святослав: #доступно_про_важливе». У ньому Глава

УГКЦ у доступний спосіб пояснює важливі християнські істини. Перші випуски

проєкту були присвячені змістові молитви, тепер же Глава УГКЦ розважає над її

способом. Переглядати нові випуски проєкту можна щосуботи о 21:00 на каналі

«Живого ТБ» в мережі YouTube або сторінці «Живого ТБ» у Facebook.

Департамент інформації УГКЦ

ПРОСИМО МОЛИТИСЯ ЗА: о.Френка Аванта, o.Леонарда Корчинського,

o.Mихайла Кузьму, о. Тому Добровольского, о. Андрія Чировського, Tима Гайдера, Дебi Плiшки, Ольгу Ширмир, Мардж Матвіїв, Любу Чорну, Євгена Павліша, Богдана

Юринця, Світлану Санагурську, Любу Лукомську, Андрею Андрес, Євгенію Яхнів, Жоану Сокальську, Лярису Дас, Джекі Мишкіевич, Христину Рудавську, Анну Назар,

Келвин Мекмен, Наталію Лісову, Михайла Саливина, Джонатана Кловс і за всіх недужих.

PLEASE PRAY FOR: Fr. Frank Avant, Fr. Leonard Korchinski, Fr. Mykhailo Kuzma,

Fr. Tom Dobrowolsky, Fr. Andriy Chirovsky, Fr. Bohdan, Tim Heider, Debbie Plishka,

Olha Schirmer, Marge Matviuw, Luba Chorny, Eugene Pawlisz, Bohdan Yurinets, Svitlana

Sanahurska, Luba Lukomskyj, Andrea Andres, Betty Jachniw, Laryssa Das, Jackie Mysh-

kiewicz, Christine Rudawski, Anna Nazar, Calvin McMahon, Nataliya Lisova, Michael Sul-

livan, Jonathan Close аnd all those in need of our prayers.

ОГОЛОШЕННЯ 1. В понеділок 20го липня припадає празник Св. Пророка Ілії. Свята Літургія о год.

8 рано.

2. Від 13го до 18го липня будь ласка дзвоніть до о. Ярослава у всіх потребах. 3. Вареники можна закупити сьогодні після св. Літургії.

4. Усі охочі бути катехитами, дяками, дияконами або кваліфікованими

християнськими служителями при наших парафіях заохочені вписатися до Місійного Інституту. Інформації можна отримати від наших отців або прошу взяти

інформації видруковані на листках, коли виходити із відправи сьогодні. 5. Владика Венедикт щиросердечно просить усіх вірних взяти участь у онлайн

бенкеті Вдячності і Єдності, який запланований на 18 жовтня 2020 року. Отож прошу зголошуватися до участі до керівниці єпархіального Відділу Розвитку п.

Марії Кокор (mariya.kokor@esnucc.org). Вона радо поділиться інформацією і розповість деталі участі у бенкеті.

6. Просимо не забувати складати ваші пожертви на церкву та на будівельний фонд нового храму. Просимо це робити через платформу GoFundMe на нашій сторінці у

Facebook, через нашу інтернет сторінку: icshrine.org

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ANNOUNCEMENT 1. On Monday July 20th we celebrate the feast of the Great Prophet Elijah. The Divine

Liturgy will be celebrated at 8 AM. 2. From the 13th to the 12th of July please contact Fr. Andrii in emergencies at 312-614-

9225. From the 12th to the 18th please contact Fr. Yaroslav in all needs. 3. Varennyky (pyrohy) and nalysnyky (Ukrainian crepes) are available for sale after

today’s Divine Liturgies. 4. All those who want to be catechists and Christian leaders in our Ukrainian parishes

are encouraged to enroll in the Mission Institute of our Eparchy. This is a four year program to prepare those called to serve in our parishes in a special way. Thise year

is dedicated to the topid, “Prayer of the Church”. For those interested contact one of our priests and/or pick up a copy of information at the back of the gym as you leave

today. 5. Bishop Benedict invites all parishioners to join him in an online Banquet of Gratitude

and Unity that is being planned for October 18, 2020. Please contact the head of the

Stewardship and Development Office, Ms. Maria Kokor (mariya.kokor@esnucc.org). She will be happy to answer your questions and share detailed information regarding

the event. 6. We thank you for your financial support and appeal to all to continue supporting our

parish operating fund and our parish Building Fund. You can send your donations to the parish or to the GoFundMe option on our parish Facebook or website

(icshrine.org).

‘God bless America’ - Popes speak to the United States

CNA Staff, Jul 3, 2020 / 11:20 am MT (CNA).- Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis each made apostolic visitations to the United States during the course of their pontificates. As

the United States celebrates Independence Day, CNA remembers words to America from each of those popes: September 24, 2015, Address to a joint session of Congress. ….I think of the political history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the

mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and promote the good of the hu-man person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un-

alienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776).

If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as

one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.

How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threat-

ened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the im-portance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life. In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnera-ble, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so

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many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them togeth-

er, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discus-sions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures

young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family. A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a cul-

ture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy

Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton. In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this

spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream. God bless America!

Pope St. John Paul II Detroit, September 19, 1987 America the beautiful! So you sing in one of your national songs. Yes, America, you are beau-

tiful indeed, and blessed in so many ways: - in your majestic mountains and fertile plains;

- in the goodness and sacrifice hidden in your teeming cities and expanding suburbs; - in your genius for invention and for splendid progress;

- in the power that you use for service and in the wealth that you share with others; - in what you give to your own, and in what you do for others beyond your borders; - in how you serve, and in how you keep alive the flame of hope in many hearts;

- in your quest for excellence and in your desire to right all wrongs. Yes, America, all this belongs to you. But your greatest beauty and your richest blessing is found

in the human person: in each man, woman and child, in every immigrant, in every native-born son and daughter. For this reason, America, your deepest identity and truest character as a nation is revealed in

the position you take towards the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness in the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenceless ones.

The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee

the right to life and protect the human person: - feeding the poor and welcoming refugees;

- reinforcing the social fabric of this nation; - promoting the true advancement of women; - securing the rights of minorities;

- pursuing disarmament, while guaranteeing legitimate defence; all this will succeed only if re-spect for life and its protection by the law is granted to every human being from conception until

natural death. Every human person - no matter how vulnerable or helpless, no matter how young or how old, no matter how healthy, handicapped or sick, no matter how useful or productive for society - is

a being of inestimable worth created in the image and likeness of God. This is the dignity of America, the reason she exists, the condition for her survival-yes, the ultimate test of her great-

ness: to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenceless ones, those as yet unborn. With these sentiments of love and hope for America, I now say goodbye in words that I spoke

once before: "Today, therefore, my final prayer is this: that God will bless America, so that she may increasingly become - and truly be - and long remain one Nation, under God, indivisible.

With liberty and justice for all"

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OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE, QUEEN OF PEACE “Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world”

(St. Pope John Paul II)

Dear Family of Mary!

"...Return, little children, to prayer and open your hearts in this time of grace and set out

on the way of conversion..." (June 25, 2020)

Return to prayer! It might seem strange that Our

Lady would say such a thing. Aren't we already praying in answer to her call? What more does she

want? But in actuality we constantly need to re-turn to prayer. We need to be vigilant in prayer so

that prayer does not just become a habit. I want to quote Fr. Slavko, who wrote extensively about

prayer, according to Our Lady of Medjugorje. He helps us return to prayer through his insights. This excerpt is from "Be Similar to My Heart" by Fr. Slavko Barbaric:

"There are two conversions that should happen to us; IN OUR PRAYER and TO OUR PRAYER. The first conversion is to start to pray. Many people do not pray at all. The sec-

ond conversion takes place in the prayer itself. We make 'free' our desires. Our prayers must be free of wanting to gain something from God, but rather to just 'be' with God.

Some people's prayers consist only of their wants, needs and desires. They come to tell

their story to God but do not wait for an answer. Once they finish the list of wants, they immediately leave. We must be very cautious when we are praying and fasting, so as

not to 'blow the horns' in front of us. We may end up 'boasting' to God about our pray-ers and be blind to giving Him our love. Sometimes we know we should go to Confes-

sion, but at the same time, we are not aware of the fact that we must change first. Con-version is not just saying many words but is then seen really by actions.

"An example of true conversion in our prayer is when we are looking for God because He loves us rather than looking because we want our needs met. In the September 1987

message Our Lady says, "Dear children, I invite you to prayer. May prayer be your life." What is missing then in our prayer? Our Lady continually calls us to prayer. We do all

the necessary things - Rosaries, Stations of the Cross and Holy Mass - yet, Our Lady still keeps asking for us to pray! WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE FUL-

FILLED?

"...Perhaps the fact that she is asking us repeatedly to prayer does not mean we are not

praying. Maybe what it means is she wants to show us a new dimension of prayer....

"In July 1994 Our Lady says, "Patiently give time to God." Even here she is, like a moth-er, showing us and teaching her children to behave. It can be said that patience is a

great virtue. It is a condition that teaches us how we can be with each other. Patience also helps us to speak with others and listen to others. If there is no patience, we cannot

speak or listen to ourselves or others. We have probably all experienced this in encoun-ters with others and in our families. If we speak impatiently to someone, their ears

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close. Patience is important whenever we meet someone and whoever is impatient can-

not meet others on any level.

"Patience is also a product of love. If we love someone, we are automatically patient with that person, in all circumstances. If we do not love, we cannot be patient with our-

selves or others. Every moment we spend with a person, whom we do not like, is much too long of a moment. Patience cannot be imagined or created. It is only born out of

love. If we have lost our patience, then we have lost or failed in love. When we lack love, then we tend to be impatient. Our Lady is telling us that we should 'patiently' give

time to God. When we have patience with god, this patience comes out of love for god. Very often we pray impatiently, and our prayers seem to be too long. Even Mass is too

long for some. Whenever we talk with someone we love, we make the best of it. This is what should happen when we are with God. Many people in the world today have lost

the purpose of prayer, and therefore, have also lost the purpose of love!" (Fr. Slavko Barbaric. Be similar to My Heart. Information Center, Medjugorje 1994)

In these very difficult days, we need very much to be living prayer!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020

ПРИГАДУЄМО УСІМ ПАРАФІЯНАМ

Щоб гідно принимати Святі Тайни парафіянин повинен жити за правилами віри та

серйозно підготувитися. Добрі (віддані) парафіяни є ті котрі:

1. В неділі й свята беруть участь в Святій Літургії

2. Жертвують час, таланти і матеріaльно підтримують парафію

3. Записані до парафії

4. Знають загальні правди й молитви нашої віри

A REMINDER TO ALL PARISHIONERS Reception of the Sacraments requires the committed practice of the faith and serious

preparation. Committed parishioners are those who:

1. Attend Divine Liturgy on Sunday’s and Feast Days

2. Give of their time, talents and financial resources

3. Have enrolled in the parish

4. Кnow and understand the basic prayer and tenets of our faith

Remember Our Parish in Your Will You can leave a lasting legacy to benefit future generations! Please remember our Immaculate Conception Ukrаinian Catholic Parish when creating your will. Your good works will continue after you have gone! Please contact the office for information.

Згадайте нашу парафію у Вашому заповіті Ви можете залишити частину своєї спадчини на благо майбутних поколінь! Ласкавo, памятайте, парафію Непорочного Зачаття Пречистої Діви Марії при створеню Вашого заповіту. Ваші добрі діла будуть продовжуватися після Вашого повернення Додому, до вічного життя!

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Saint Philomena And Our Times By Brian K. Kravec I have a dear friend and heavenly patroness in St. Philomena. I wear the red and white wrist cord of St. Philomena which symbolizes her virginity and martyrdom. My cord, a gift of love from a fellow devotee, was touched to the first class relics of St. Philomena’s bone and the blood of St. John Vianney, who fostered public devotion to St. Philomena with great enthusiasm. Though my personal devotion to the Wonder-Worker is quite new, I’ve wasted no time in presenting my petitions to her and she has wasted no time in affirming her patronage. It is widely known that whenever St. Philomena is working on your behalf, she would announce it by knocking three times. I knew nothing of this very special communication until after I was discussing three very distinct knocks that awakened me in the middle of the night just weeks ago. At that time, the world was nearly 40 days into the present Covid-19 pandemic.

It would be reasonable to dismiss the three knocks as a dream or even wishful thinking if I had prior knowledge of this playful saintly custom. The fact that I learned about the three knocks af-terward and that they were followed by a very clear dream lead-ing me to a message from St. Philomena for our times is some-thing to be considered. In a dream following the three knocks, I could vividly see books of varied colors that were numbered. When my eyes opened the fol-lowing morning, it immediately occurred to me that I had seen The Volumes as published by Direction for Our Times. The Volumes contain private revelation given to the world through Kathryn Ann Clarke, also known as Anne, a lay apostle. Rev. Leo O’Reilly, Bishop of the Diocese of Kilmore, Ireland, has granted

Anne’s writings an imprimatur. The Volumes are in my home library and I hadn’t thought about them or read them in more than a decade. Shortly after the dream, I was discussing the wonders of St. Philomena with the same friend who gifted me with her cord and told me about the three knocks. She shared a video which she credits as her introduction to St. Philomena in which Dr. Mark Miravalle inter-views Anne the lay apostle in December, 2008. Again, it was after seeing the video that I shared the details of my recent dream with my dear friend. Only then would I return to Volume 7 (page 11-14) and read St. Philomena’s message to me and the world as given July 8, 2004 which I believe the little saint wishes to be circulated anew: Dear brothers and sisters, you must be joyful during this time. Whenever you are tempt-ed toward despair, you must think of heaven and how Jesus is making the earth like heaven by allowing this cleansing. Jesus is reclaiming the earth. That is a wonderful thing and will ensure that your children’s children will not have to contend with the darkness of sin that surrounds your children. It would please Jesus if you would be thankful to Him, despite any circumstances.

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A saint conducts herself this way and finds that she is joyful regardless of any and all hardships. Dear friends of heaven, the enemy will not prevail. You know this because you have been told this. At the end of this time, Jesus will return and the earth will be beau-tiful again. Before that, there will be a time when it will appear that the enemy has taken control of the world. The darkness of sin will reign and our beloved Church will suffer even more. Followers will face grave and constant attacks for their faith in many areas of the world. They will persevere and set the most beautiful example for others. This will draw others back to the faith in great numbers, so you see, the enemy’s strategy will backfire. The more God’s enemies persecute His children, the more children will choose God and remain true. It has always been this way, sadly. God’s children should serve Him faithfully in good times also, but many do not. Many become worldly when the times are easy. Be brave. Your courage will come from heaven and inspire many. We teach you how to prepare and those who take our advice will find that they are calm and able to lead. Heaven will call upon many to lead because during the worst of the troubles, holy souls will be cut off from each other. Leaders will spring up in every area to help holy souls to remain steadfast. How beautiful are these times when viewed from our perspective. My dear friends, read about our lives. Many saints in heaven faced the greatest of persecutions on earth. We nev-er relied upon ourselves and in that way we became invincible. You will too. The earth will quake during this time and heaven’s responses will be apparent to all, giving the faithful great hope. The enemy’s actions will be met with heavenly retribution. This also will convince many that God is preparing to return and will also bring many back to God. So you see, the enemy cannot win and God will turn everything to the good. It is important that you are aware of the coming events so you will be confident and prepared. My friends, your world is asleep at this time and many doubt God’s presence in the world. I would advise you all to remain alert. You will be glad that you did. St. Philomena, pray for us!

M Y S T I C S O F T H E C H U R C H

T H I S W E B S I T E I S D E V O T E D T O T H E E X T R A O R D I N A R Y M Y S T I C S A N D V I S I O N A R I E S O F T H E C H U R C H , E S P E C I A L L Y T H O S E W H O A R E

L E S S E R K N O W N , S U C H A S S T G E M M A G A L G A N I , B L E S S E D A L E X -A N D R I N A D A C O S T A , S R C O N S O L A T A B E T R O N E , T H E R E S E N E U -

M A N N , R E V . P E R E L A M Y , G A B R I E L L E B O S S I S , J O S E F A M E N E N D E Z , M A R T H E R O B I N , S E R V A N T O F G O D L O U I S E L A T E A U , B L E S S E D A N -

N A M A R I A T A I G I , S I S T E R M A R Y O F T H E H O L Y T R I N I T Y , S I S T E R

M A R I A A N T O N I A A N D O T H E R S . T H E A U T H O R E N D E A V O R S A L W A Y S T O B E I N C O M M U N I O N W I T H T H E C A T H O L I C C H U R C H A N D I T S

T E A C H I N G S .

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St. Paul’s simple formula for preserv-

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Philip Kosloski | Jun 08, 2020

In the Letter to the Ephesians St. Paul lays out a simple yet powerful guide to

preserving unity.

It is a praiseworthy endeavor to strive for unity in our world, but not always easy to accom-

plish. Unity requires cooperation on both sides and this can be a long and arduous task.

St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians lays out a simple, yet profound formula for unity. He

describes what is required for unity to be preserved and how to go about maintaining it.

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have re-

ceived, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another

through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of

peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one

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Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and

in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

His words of advice are quite simple, but very difficult to accomplish!

It means that we have to humble ourselves before another and treat others

with gentleness, patience and love. Too often we don’t have one of these key ingredi-

ents and each time we let ourselves slip, it threatens that unity.

Above all, we must attach ourselves to Christ and let God unite us together in a bond that

nothing can break.

Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head,

Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,

with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up

in love…be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way

in righteousness and holiness of truth. (Ephesians 4:15-16, 23)

If we can follow St. Paul’s formula, we will be much closer to unity than we could ever be on

our own.