“In Illo uno unum,” which translates to “In the One (Christ), we are one.” Friends, this is the motto of Holy Father Pope Leo XIV for his pontificate. I believe this motto expresses a universal desire in our troubled times: a longing for unity and peace.
While I was waiting for my flight back to the U.S., I struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger sitting next to me. A solo traveler, he shared the same sentiment: “We’re so divided. I hope to live in a peaceful world.” That, too, reflects the desire of his heart.
How do we achieve peace in a world so divided? Pope Leo offers us an answer. Only in Christ and through Christ can we attain peace. This is the essence of our Christian faith—to possess the heart and mind of Christ:
The Christ who hears the cries of the poor.
The Christ who listens to everyone’s needs.
The Christ who welcomes all people into His heart.
The Christ who understands and sees our suffering.
The Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us the promise of eternal life.
The Christ who seeks to unite us so that all may be one!
When we have this Christ in our hearts, we become one.
However, this unity often eludes us because many have conceived a different image of Christ in their minds and hearts. It’s the Christ of their liking: the Christ who does not challenge their mindsets, philosophies, and lifestyles; the Christ of the material world.
The Christ we need must be the Christ of the Scriptures—one who became one with His people in their sufferings and pains, who listened to them and offered the promise of happiness and blessings, who welcomed everyone into His life, and who challenged all to seek true happiness and peace.
Christ came to fulfill both His and our heart’s desire through His Father’s law of love, justice, and mercy. In fulfilling this law, He demonstrated not a narrow-minded and legalistic adherence, as the Pharisees and Scribes taught, but a comprehensive understanding that entails a commitment to compassion, mercy, justice, and respect for the dignity of every human person. Thus, the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” for instance, is more than a prohibition against physically murdering a person; it is a call to nurture hope for a life of dignity and harmony, rather than to kill a person’s spirit.
This principle holds true for all commandments. We must always remember that the foundation of God’s law—whether it pertains to marriage, family, friendship, politics, government, business, or any human relationship or enterprise—rests on the dignity of the human person and justice for all.
In the Gospel, Christ tells us to say “yes” when we mean “yes” and “no” when we mean “no.” He urges us to make a decision. Are we for Him or not? Are we following the Christ of the Scriptures or our personal interpretations and biases? Are we the Church of the Poor or the Church of the Elite? Are we truly working for the Christ of the Gospel? The choice is ours.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.