Concatenation

THE word comes from “catena,” Latin for chain, a string of links, usually metallic, which with the prefix “con-” (or “cum” in Latin), meaning “with,” and the suffix, “-ation,” means the act or the state of being bound or connected.

The word is usually made to refer to the material item of a chain. Otherwise it is often used in a literary sense, as in a metaphor or a simile. But hardly is it used in the spiritual and moral sense, as in our duty to build up linkages among ourselves.

This is unfortunate, since our human dignity and our vocation urge us precisely to construct and strengthen in a constant and increasing way our interrelationships. We are meant to be connected with the others. No one lives alone.

This can be gleaned from our Christian faith when our Lord himself commanded us, first, to love our neighbor as ourselves, then later on in a more perfect way, to love one another as he loves us.

In fact, the Compendium of the Catechism of the Church teaches us that “the human person has a communal dimension as an essential component of his nature and vocation.” (401)

But even in our natural self, without considering the inputs of our faith yet, we can already discern a strong tendency to be with others, though this predisposition can easily be thwarted for a number of reasons.

Thus, we are born into a family, and we need our parents and siblings, and later on our friends, classmates, colleagues, etc., for us to grow, develop and find happiness here on earth.

We neither can avoid organizing ourselves into ascending levels of society—from family to local, national and international communities—simply because we need them. Problems we encounter along the way cannot stop this trend.

We have to be more aware that this human process just cannot be inspired by our natural needs alone nor ruled merely by the natural laws of economics, sociology, politics, and much less by the advantages of popularity and practicality.

We have to understand that our need and the corresponding duty to “concatenate” among ourselves go beyond these natural and temporal reasons. That need and duty arise from the spiritual character of our nature and the supernatural goal to which it is called.

Yes, to put it bluntly, the spirituality of our nature, expressed in our capacity to think, know, judge, reason, choose, love, etc., would not be complete unless it is poised if not engaged with the supernatural reality of a Supreme Being, who is God, our Creator and everything, eternal, omnipotent, provident, etc.

St. Augustine vividly gave an expression of this condition of ours when he said: “Our heart is restless until it rests in you.” It is inherent in us to be connected with God, the ultimate Other, and with and through him, with all the others.

Thus, we are told that love for God is always inseparable from love for the others. We are “designed” to enter into communion, which is not mere physical union, but a union of life and love, with God and others.

In others words, we have to understand that we are meant to be responsible for one another. We cannot say, “That’s his problem, that’s his own affair.” While it’s true that we enjoy a right to privacy and that we also have the social principle of subsidiarity, all these do not mean we can ever be indifferent to the others.

Their concerns and affairs are somehow ours too. The faster we get convinced of this truth, the more quickly we understand it and prepare ourselves adequately to meet its practical consequences, readying ourselves to help others in the worst scenarios, the better for us.

Our Lord did this not only by becoming man, but also by assuming all the sinfulness of men. This he did by embracing the cross and freely allowing himself to die on it, in spite of his obvious sinlessness.

It’s a great lesson for us to learn. We will fail to establish and reinforce our true unity in its different levels and aspects—personal, social, cultural, etc.—if we refuse to follow the example of Christ, who is “the life, the truth and the way” for us.

We have to heed St. Paul’s advice that’s clearly inspired by Christ’s example: “Bear each other’s burden, and you shall fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6,2) We have to start training ourselves to acquire this attitude and lifestyle.

This is the way to fulfill the duty of concatenation.