Let’s all work for unity

GUYANA

At his first anniversary Mass, Fr Carl Philadelphia reminded faithful the goal as a Church is that clergy, religious and lay people be united.

“We need to stick together. We need to stop attacking and criticising each other and begin to attack the problems of the world,” Fr Carl, as he is known, preached in his homily at the 5 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Monday, January 28.

Catholic Standard reported that Fr Carl preached on unity as being central to Christian living: unity in terms of loyalty to the Holy Spirit and an unswerving rejection of Satan. Excerpts of his homily, ‘A Church of Unity’, was published in the diocesan weekly.

Fr Carl said that as the Lord came to unite His flock, the devil uses the sins of pride, envy and greed to create division within and among one another.

He gave an example of the devil causing individuals to say “I deserve this award, recognition and position more than they do!” “Therefore, sin entrenches us in our position. There is no progress with and in sin, only division and disrespect,” he said.

Fr Carl observed that on the other hand, unity aims to demonstrate that the teachings of Jesus Christ can be lived every day. Unity he said, teaches that each person is a unique expression of God; each person is sacred; and each person is worthy.

Quoting from Mark 3:25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand”, Fr Carl prayed that he is given strength to continue to work for unity through his priesthood and the grace to be sorrowful when he causes disunity.