Today in the book In Caelo et in Terra, we read about St Vincent Ferrer. He was from Valencia, and lived during a time of schism in the Catholic church. The pope antagonized the cardinals to the point that they elected a new pope in his place. St Vincent became the advisor to this new pope. He advised him, eventually, to step down and let the pope be the pope. He did this after he was seriously ill and God gave him a vision of St Dominic and St Francis of Assisi appearing to him and telling him to preach the gospel. After this, he got well and preached all over Europe for the next twenty years, bringing healing to the church. You can read more about him here.
We live in a time of division, too. Our country is divided between the left and right, and tensions are getting higher all of the time. There is a division between those who think the pope is a heretic and should resign, and those who do not and support him. There is, of course, the deep seated division between the protestant and Catholic church. Jesus prayed for us to be unified. He prayed specifically for you and me in John 17:21, that we would be one and unified, just as He and the Father are One.
So let's be like St Vincent Ferrer and pray for unity. Let's work for it, too. Let's love those who think differently than us, and try to bring healing to the body of Jesus.
God, thanks for the great example of this peacemaker. St Vincent Ferrer, pray for us.
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