“THAT THEY MAY BE ONE”: JESUS’ DESIRE FOR OUR UNITY IN LOVE
7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C, 1ST JUNE 2025/ WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY, St. EDWIN’S PARISH, KUBWA, ABUJA. HOMILY BY ARCHBISHOP I.A. KAIGAMA.
READINGS: 1ST READING: ACTS 7:55-60; 2ND READING: REVELATION 22:12-14.16-17.20; GOSPEL:JOHN 17:20-26.
THEME: “THAT THEY MAY BE ONE”: JESUS’ DESIRE FOR OUR UNITY IN LOVE
I am happy to be in your parish today dear Fr. Francis Nwora and the good people of St. Edwin Kubwa, to pray with you, to encourage you in your faith and love for one another, and to administer the sacrament of confirmation to children and church members.
The communication commission of the Archdiocese is here with us to celebrate World Communications Day in your parish.
The 59th World Communications Sunday had its theme chosen by the late Holy Father, Pope Francis: “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15-16). Recently, speaking to thousands of reporters, radio and television correspondents, photographers, and camera operators, Pope Leo XIV asked them to be peacemakers by shunning prejudice and anger in their reporting.
On World Communications Day, we are called to remember that in today’s world of imagery, the mass media have effectively become an extraordinary resource for promoting solidarity and understanding within the human family. See the vibrant way the death and solemn funeral rites of our late Pope Francis were reported all over the world and how equally, the inaugural Mass of the papacy of Pope Leo XIV dominated world news headlines. However, the media must be used “with gentleness and reverence”.
We live in an age of powerful technologies — of digital voices, social media, and instant messages. But we must ask: Are we communicating truth? Are we promoting understanding and unity? Are we forming human hearts?
Those of you in the communication business, could you take a little time this year to highlight the severe consequences of brain drain in Nigeria, particularly of healthcare professionals, with an estimated 16,000 doctors said to be leaving the country in the past seven years to the UK, US, Canada, and Germany, where thousands of Nigerian doctors are already practicing. Not to talk of thousands of other skilled Nigerian personnel outside the country. Does it worry our government when skilled people, seeking to leave Nigeria or have already permanently left Nigeria complain of inadequate working conditions and low salaries, lack of motivation, absence of professional tools, and insecurity, as reasons for seeking opportunities abroad?
The Church is reminding all believers of the call to “communicate truth with love,” as St. Paul urged (Ephesians 4:15), and to use every tool at our disposal to share the hope that is in our hearts, while being mindful of the impact of artificial intelligence, the dangers of fake news and misinformation. We should not be too quick to spread bad news. Let us remember, that over and above all, we are called to be ambassadors of the gospel of Jesus, and the gospel is good news.
Let the social media be marked by decency and witness. Let your words heal, not wound. Let your messages bring hope, not fear, contribute to bringing down the walls of hostility that continue to divide humanity, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and love which are signs of God’s Kingdom in history. Always ensure objectivity and respect for human dignity. When you read your funeral on social media or stories that are fabricated to make headlines or to get likes on Facebook and other platforms, they are far from being intended to edify or bring peace or development. Use rather, the modern means of modern communication to edify, to motivate, to instruct, to correct, to inspire, to promote unity and harmony.
Dear friends, today, we are presented with an important prayer that the world needs at this time, not only the Church but also the whole world, the Jesus’ Prayer. It is a prayer that looks to the present and to the future. It is a prayer that focuses on unity, on all being one; how we are to live our lives together. It is very clear that Jesus’ words are meant for us now, but also for those who don’t even believe in Him and “those who will believe” (cf. Jn 17:20).
Jesus prays that “all may be one.” This means that there are to be no solitary Christians or spiritual “Lone Rangers.” That we should be one, as He and the Father are one. That was His last desire before going to the cross. He wants the Church to be united, not scattered; a family, not a crowd. And so, He devotes the entire chapter 17 of John’s Gospel to praying for His disciples and would-be disciples, His longest prayer. And what is the object of this prayer? Unity.
Be one in worship. Be one in service. Be one across age, background, and status. Let there be no room for factions or rivalries. Let St. Edwin Parish be known as a community where everyone belongs and Christ is at the center. Be united in worship. Be united in mission. Be united in love. Avoid factions and bitterness. Learn to forgive. Speak the truth, but always with charity. A divided Church cannot speak convincingly to a divided world. But a united Church becomes a sign of the Kingdom. Strive to be a community of unity. Let your diversity enrich, not divide. Avoid gossip and resentment. Seek reconciliation quickly. In a world torn apart by conflict, a united church is a powerful testimony.
Praying that “all may be one,” does that mean we all have to get along all the time, agree all the time, or have the same political views all the time? As Christians, whether we agree with each other or not, like one another or not, we are called to be one in Christ. To become a part of Christ is to become a part of the community; a part of the one.
As members of the vast family of over two hundred million people called Nigeria, we must realize that unity and harmony is a community project, to live and behave in a manner that we function like the parts of the human body that function individually but for the good of the whole body. In 1 Corinthians 12:21 we read that “the eye cannot tell the hand, ‘I do not need you’ nor the head tell the feet, ‘I do not need you.’”
Unity is not the absence of differences – it is the triumph of love over division; tolerance, not confrontation. Let us pray for real unity in this country, not the shallow unity of diplomacy, but the deep unity of sanctity as preached by our two major religions.
Today, your parish marks 10 years of your creation and I learned that your parish priest marked his 10th priestly anniversary recently. Today, you are opening your newly completed rectory and 108 of your parishioners will be confirmed. A big congratulations to you on these great achievements.
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we witness the martyrdom of Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit. Having witnessed the ascension of the Lord and taking seriously, Jesus’ command to be His witnesses to the rest of the world, Stephen courageously bears witness to Christ. Thus, confronted with fierce opposition, he remains steadfast in his faith. His courage and unwavering commitment to Christ, even in the face of persecution, remind us of the profound strength that comes from living in communion with the risen Lord. This is the kind of Church Christ desires – a Church of bold witnesses.
To our Confirmation candidates, today is a defining moment. The same Spirit that filled Stephen is about to descend upon you. You are not just receiving a sacrament – you are being empowered, sealed, and sent. Confirmation makes you spiritual adults in the Church, soldiers of the Church, capable of standing up for your faith, witnessing with your lives, and serving with joy. Our world needs young people who are not ashamed of the Gospel – who are not afraid to live differently, to speak boldly, and to love generously. The Spirit you receive today will give you wisdom, courage, and strength – but you must cooperate with Him. Be open. Be prayerful. Be missionary.
And to the parents and sponsors: today, your role does not end – it continues. Walk with these young people. I always encourage that each candidate has his/her sponsor. It is very important. Sponsors, you are meant to teach them by example. Remind them that the Spirit of God is a gift not just to feel, but to follow.
As we await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, let us continue to spread the message of hope, love, and unity everywhere we find ourselves as Nigerians. There is no way you will love a fellow Nigerian and still kidnap him/her to demand ransom. Ethnic tensions and farmer-herder fights grow as a result of a lack of love for our neighbors. Community clashes spiral because we hold grudges. Poverty and insecurity persist because corruption continues to receive new oxygen from both higher and lower places.
May the Holy Spirit help us to be open to overhauling our social and inner life, embracing love, and hard work; ensuring justice for all Nigerians; and embracing honesty, and not corruption as a way of life.
