Today’s readings speak about the unity and purity of faith, the unity of the church, the basis of her victory over the world and the forces of darkness and that the most dangerous thing facing the church is not from the outside, as it is able by God to demolish fortresses, but from the inside, partisanship, divisions and lack of repentance.

Therefore, the readings begin with the book of Deuteronomy, which tells us about the deviation of all the people from behind God, their agreement and unity, but unfortunately, in the manufacture of a cast statue and abandoned the worship of the Lord.

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.” (Deuteronomy 9)

 

In the first book of Samuel about the cost of unity, David, the prophet chosen by the Lord, does not extend his hand to Saul the king, despite God’s rejection of him, and despite Saul’s attempt to kill him, to ensure the safety of the leader and shepherd, despite his deviation from the basics of unity in Christ.

 

“And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”

Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 24)

 

Isaiah’s prophecy reveals the unity of the kings, chiefs and titans of the earth to carry out the will of God and His economy with His people.

“Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger– Those who rejoice in My exaltation.”  (Isaiah 13)

 

The book of Job reveals a false unity, a unity of friends who came for consolation but agreed to condemn Job, aggravated his wounds one more wound and gave false ideas about faith in God.

“Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us?

Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father.” (Job 15)

 

Joshua son of Sirach proclaims the way of unity in the service and generosity of the Lord, examined with fire in the furnace of humility.

“Son, if you accept the service of the Lord, prepare yourself for trials, gold will be examined with fire, and the satisfied and the chosen people will be examined in the furnace of humility”.

The Matins Psalm also proclaims the power of unity in our risen Christ.

“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”  (Psalms 16)

 

The Matins gospel reveals the unity of the heavenly and earthly, those who live on Earth and those who live in heaven. It is one church with enviable visible members and invisible members such as the human body.

“But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.” (Luke 20)

 

As for Pauline Epistle, he explains the mystery of the unity of the past, present and future by faith, since faith makes us aware of what happened in the past in order to live in the piety of the present and even believe God’s declarations in the future for the sake of our trust in Him.

Our faith in what God did in the past, in His creation by the son; the Word, and our faith in the present, in his fear, like Abel and Enoch, and our faith in the declarations of the future and the call of God without guarantees, as if we want to fulfill His plan, like the call of Noah and Abraham.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11)

 

As for Catholic Epistle, it encourages believers to the unity of worship and love, we must build ourselves up, always pray and keep ourselves in order to be able by divine grace to bless some, save some from fire and have mercy on some.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, …And on some have compassion,  …but others save with fear,”  (Jude 1)

 

Praxis warns against differences of faith and disputes that lead to schism.

“concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.”  (Acts 23)

 

The psalm of the mass also draws attention to the importance of the Lord’s self-preservation and the importance of relying on Him.

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

(Psalms 16)

The Gospel of the liturgy concludes with the unity of will and deed between the son of God and the spirit of God, refuting the accusations of the Pharisees in accusing Him that in Beelzebub He casts out demons and the strongest declaration and proof that this gift to the simple people of the New Testament and their children; the children of their people, the holy disciples to whom God gave victory over Satan.

“But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.”  (Luke 11)

 

The summary of the readings

The people agreed to idolatry and exposed themselves to divine wrath were it not for the intercession of Moses the Prophet. Deuteronomy

Taking care of the safety of the shepherd and the leader, despite his weakness is from the basics of unity in Christ. The first book of Kings

God uses the unity of the heads of the world to carry out His will. The book of Isaiah

The agreement of Job’s friends but to present false ideas about God. The book of Job

The path of unity is achieved by examining in the furnace of the humility. Joshua ben Sirach

The power of unity of faith rises from our Risen Christ from the dead. The Matins Psalms

The unity of the heavenly and earthly. The Matins gospel

The mystery of the unity of the past, present and future in Christ. Pauline Epistle

The unity of worship, love and concern for the salvation of brethern from the defilement of sin. Catholic Epistle

The differences of faith and disputes caused the schism. Praxis

God preserves the soul and it is not preoccupied with anything but dependence on Him. The Psalm of the liturgy

The unity of will and deed between the son of God and the spirit of God. The Gospel of the liturgy