MAY THEY ALL BE ONE
A
conference I attended in Australia remains etched in my mind to this
day. Christians from interdenominational communities gathered there. At
the closing Mass, the Catholics were in the auditorium for the final
blessing. The Protestants were having their own service in the Catholic
chapel. As the bishop was about to do the final blessing, the
Protestants came to the venue. The bishop invited the pastors and
leaders to join him in the closing prayer. Immediately a great wave of
joy erupted as we realized the prayer of Jesus was being made fruitful:
“May they all be one.” In his encyclical Ut Unum Sint (May
1995), St. John Paul II called for a renewal of all Christians to the
prayer of unity in Jesus. The call for unity is manifested through
ecumenical efforts at interfaith and interdenominational dialogue.
Jesus’ disciples have the enormous task of sharing the Good News. Jesus
knows too well what lies ahead with all its persecution and
misunderstandings — but He is with us. He is like a parent who is aware
of the dangers, limitations and difficult circumstances his child will
encounter, but the parent must let go and allow the child to live. Jesus
is doing the same in the prayer He addresses to the Father in the Upper
Room.
In these days of prayer we, too, wait for the Holy Spirit who will lead
us and guide us in our life’s journey. He is our strength,
encouragement and wisdom. The task ahead of us — making Jesus known —
can only be accomplished by seeking the Spirit who transforms and
motivates us. As we open ourselves to the Father’s love, through the
presence of Jesus, we are assured that we are one with Jesus and the Father in bringing a transforming love to this world in which we live. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you living out your calling as a Christian in unity and love?
Father, may the love with which You loved Jesus be in me. Amen.
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