Be in Unity

MariaCristina was born in Santa Marta, Colombia on the day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Because of this gift from Heaven, she took a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and, together with her husband and children, she has consecrated her life to Mary. She knows that Our Lady is truly her mom who helps her in all aspects of her life.
At the age of 32, Maria Cristina was diagnosed with breast cancer and began to live a stage in her life full of physical suffering, but also a life filled with grace and blessings. It was then, in those moments of loneliness and isolation, that she was able to experience God’s Love and hear His Voice deep within her heart. Fortunately, the miracle of healing occurred and since then Maria Cristina has dedicated herself to serving the Lord. She knows that nothing comes from herself, but that everything is the product of Divine Grace.
Over the past few days, I was walking along the beach while praying. Suddenly, I stopped at a place on the seashore where there were several rocks and I noticed that in the middle of some of them there was a very small pool of seawater – enough for a group of small fish to swim there. I calculated that there were about 40 of them, elongated and silvery, all the same species. I looked at them carefully and noticed that they were all swimming in the same direction. It turns out that the waves were hitting from various “fronts” and forcefully entered that place where they were. In doing so, the current dragged the fish along and seemed to disperse them. Despite this happening repeatedly, this small school managed to meet in the same place and continue to swim together in the same direction. It was evident that there was someone who was guiding them so that they would not get lost or carried away by the current. I thought, “Incredible! It seems that they never get tired of fighting!” It gave me the impression that they were convinced that they should be there and that, whatever happened, they should stay together swimming in the same direction.
As at every time the Lord gives me the gift of contemplating His creation in an atmosphere of prayer, I came to understand the school of fish before me as unified. As a daughter of God and a part of God’s pilgrim Church on this earth, I understand the importance of unity. Jesus does not want us to have any action outside of the Church or against it, since it is the Church, in her unity and her teachings, that guarantee God’s plan, to the point that it would be better to be “wrong” participating in the Church than to be “right,” but outside her. I saw that the school was led by a fish, and everyone followed it to maintain order and stay alive, and I understood that likewise we, the people of God, are guided by the Pope and the Bishops, who, although human, have the guarantee of the Blood of Jesus Christ and the seal of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if, as men they are wrong, they are still “right” in what is of God, because it is God who assists them.
Like the school of fish, God has made everything in order. Chaos is not from God and that “leader fish” that I could not identify, but the little fish could, guided them so that they could stay in order and not be dragged by the current. I kept watching and I assumed that it was the will or instinct of each fish to follow this leader, but then I asked myself, “What happens if one of them does not follow the leader?” At that moment, a wave brought one of those little fish to my feet, dead, moved by the sway of the waves, and now far away from the school. I must admit that this scene made quite an impact on me; because after seeing all of them fight to follow the one who led them and to hold onto the place that was good for them, one of the fish, for an unknown reason, moved away and perished.
Though for the fish it was the death of the body, for us humans, I go further and think of the death of the soul. If we move away from, He Who is the Way, from He Who is the true Light, our soul is in danger of being lost. For this reason, Jesus wants us to live in Unity with our Holy Mother Church. My brothers and sisters, the divisions we experience in our everyday life are clearly not from God, because God is unity and life. Let us not be confused. Let us not take our eyes off Jesus… and, when looking at Him, let us contemplate what it means to live in communion with the Holy Pope, who, as the successor of Peter, is a sign of Unity.