A Prodigious Love: One Heart, One Soul

"Where there are sins, there is a multitude, there are schisms, there are heresies, there are disagreements; but where there is virtue, there is singleness, there is unity - and thus all the believers had 'one heart and one soul.' "

- Origen of Alexandria, Exegetical Works on Ezekiel,  Homily 9

As discussed in the above quotation from Origen, the prophet Ezekiel had many harsh things to say about the sins of Jerusalem.

St. Paul also showed his frustration with the rivalries dividing the early Christian community in Corinth when he wrote, "I mean that each of you is saying, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ.' "

Achieving  a unity of one heart and one soul has been a challenge throughout the entire history of our Church.  The sin that creates factions and divisions has worked to separate the vine from the branches and the branches from each other.

Despite the difficulties, the early Christian communities relied on two essential actions for achieving harmony: the breaking of the bread and a commitment to mutual help and support among community members. The divine love that flowed from God was shared in both sacramental and human ways.

Perhaps the lessons learned by the early Church remain the most powerfully important lessons for our Church today.

Perhaps being of one heart and one soul is less about debating and more about the common experience of shared love.