RBWords

     Four of St. Paul's letters are referred to as the "captivity letters:" - Philippians, Ephesians, Philemon and Colossians = because they mention Paul being in prison. He seems to have been in a number of prisons. The riddle for scripture scholars has always been WHICH prison because that might help date the letters.  Suffice it to say, the Church has accepted all of them as inspired scripture and we take it from there.  The Letter to the Ephesians may have originally been a kind of "circular letter" to any of the communities.Paul evangelized.  Indeed it could be addressed to all Christians of all times and to whatever parish or Christian church we belong to!

     The phrase, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism..." has been prominent in the ecumenical movement that followed the Second Vatican Council when the Catholic church reversed centuries of its antagonistic attitude toward the churches of the Reformation.  Although considerable progress has been made on the higher levels of theological dialogue, much of the giddy excitement of the early years after the council has dissipated and steps toward reuniting all Christians have been tiny, if any at all, on the local levels.  Perhaps the best that can be expected is a cordial mutual tolerance that recognizes other churches as "neighbors" rather than family.  We are all urged by St. Paul "to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,,,:  Real ecumenism starts at that level, no matter how much theological dialogue occurs higher up!  AMEN