Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 28, 2020 - 7th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 and John 17:20-26]"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." [John]
Every January, the Church celebrates an "octave" of prayer for Christian unity. Jesus' own prayer provided the title for Pope St. John Paul II's encyclical, Ut unum sint, (That they all may be one). The words quoted above might get past us if we don't pay attention because Jesus prays not just for the disciples with him but for all those who will come to believe because of their preaching! In short, he was (and is) praying for all who believe in him and for all those who will come to faith because of OUR faith.
Parents may pray that after they are gone, their children will all get along and that there will be family unity. We know from our own experiences that this is a challenging thing to accomplish and maintain!! Divisions in the Church started very soon after Pentecost and continue to this day! St. Paul was often frustrated by them in his letters, especially in First Corinthians. The Protestant Reformation was by no means the first division in Christianity!! As it is, we Catholics could do a much better job of unifying our own Christian household. We have some large beams in our own eyes that need removing before we can remove the splinters in the eyes of other Christian families of faith. [Matt. 7:5]
Jesus' prayer for unity remains a challenge for us today and for the future. The celebration of Pentecost this coming Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect on how we help or hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing about unity. AMEN.