Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 133: A Prayer for Fellowship Among the Faithful—It is the Lord alone who establishes fellowship among the baptized faithful. Sharing in common the gift of the Holy Spirit and true faith in Christ in the heart is something that only the Holy Spirit can create through the faithful preaching of God’s Word that is received and believed. Out of the reception of God’s Word, brothers and sisters confess a unity of faith and love which is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. It is this fellowship that Psalm 133 celebrates: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Unity and harmony in the faith cannot be established by any human agreement where people “agree to disagree”— such “unity” is a scam. The only unity worth having is the unity that God alone creates in the hearts of His people by the pure and unadulterated Word of God. This unity is compared to the precious oil that anoints the beard of Aaron the High Priest, or to the dew that refreshes Mount Hermon and the mountains of Zion. Out of this unity of the pure Gospel and faith in Christ “there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.”

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