We are in the midst of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Pope Benedict chimed in on this.
Prayer is the soul of ecumenism, as unity in the Body of Christ is above all else a work of the Holy Spirit.
In a special way, I long for unity with the Orthodox Churches. Orthodoxy still breathes mystery and awe in its Liturgy, and has not yet succumbed to secularization's corrosive power to de-mystify divine mystery.
We hope.
As an aside, I happened on this remarkable video of a little girl named Rhema, gifted with a stunningly lovely voice and a tragic story. Beauty and pain seem to be bedfellows in this life. Her voice is truly a word from God.
Oremus. Let us pray.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Prayer for Christian Unity – what a wonderful joy this would be for all those who are in the Body of Christ to truly work and pray as one.
ReplyDeleteSimple steps can be taken by each member of the Catholic faith to move towards unity in the Body of Christ. From the perspective of conversion to the Catholic faith from a Protestant tradition, I offer these considerations as beginning steps.
First, observe at Mass the number of persons NOT receiving the Eucharist. These could be spouses, children and friends of those not Catholic, yet they have chosen to worship among us. Is there anyone you have not met? If you met them, did you inquire as to their faith background and welcome them to the liturgy? It is not necessary to pry or proselytize. Simply learn more about the faith community from which that person visits. It is much easier to pray for an acquaintance than the “strangers” in the church down the road.
Second, set some time aside to visit your parish RCIA program. No doubt, you will find one if not more potential converts to the Catholic faith, each unique in why they are seeking Jesus in the Catholic Church. This is an opportunity to learn about other faiths and about the parish in which you worship. Observe and listen to the stories offered in their path to conversion. Most likely it will deepen your faith and give you an opportunity and reminder to pray for the unity sought by these Candidates.
It is essential for us to pray for the unity intended for the church. The God we worship is a reflection of that unity we should desire. The desire is both positive in wanting to repair a brokenness but also mixed with a sadness that the brokenness exists at all. If that prayer is elevated to our Trinitarian God and spoken in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Father, the unity we ask and desire will come to fruition.