RBWords

     Jesus' prayer for unity in faith among his followers that would reflect the unity he has with his Father has echoed down the centuries as a challenge to us.  We not only have the diversity of great religions:  Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism - we also have the scandalous divisions in Christianity.  One must admit, too, that there is not a lot of agreement on what "unity" would represent.  Does it mean, as some would believe, that the whole world would become Roman Catholic?  Or does it mean, as some would believe, that all who believe in God in some way are on equally valid paths and that no one has a monopoly on the truth?  What form would Jesus' "oneness" take?  Bl. Pope John Paul II wrote an entire encyclical on this, Ut Unum Sint [That They May be One], admitting the enormous challenge but saying that we can never give up on what Jesus prayed for.

     Indeed, what captures my attention today is Jesus praying not only for his disciples but praying for us, too, who have believed because of the preaching of the disciples down through the centuries.   He is praying for me as a believer and as a preacher and for all who bear witness to the truth.  This is what we must do without rejecting any "ray of truth" that may be spoken to us from others.  If the Lord can pray for this and for us, we know the challenge is worthwhile!  AMEN