Acts 7: 55-60
Psalm: 97
Reading II:
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
Gospel: John 17:20-26
Again and again, the Lord calls us to unity. There is an old saying that “repetition is the mother of learning.” A story which impressed me as a child is one told about St. John when he was elderly. It may be a story to teach a lesson rather than an actual fact, but it worthwhile reflecting on it.
The story goes this way: In St. John’s senior years, when he offered Mass, he would always give the same sermon: “Little children, love one another.” That was the whole sermon. People began to think that he was becoming senile, so they asked him why he said the same thing every Sunday. His simple response was: “That is how Jesus wants us to live.”
In this week’s Gospel, we have the opportunity to listen to the prayer of Jesus to His Father:
Holy Father, I pray not only for them [the disciples] 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 17:20-21).
Obviously, we need the prayers because from the beginning of the Church there have been different ideas about practices and even about Jesus Christ, Himself. These have led to many divisions within Christianity.
One practice which caused disagreements was the manner of giving baptism. Some believed that immersion was necessary for a baptism to be valid; others believed that sprinkling was also acceptable. When baptizing infants became common, Catholics included sprinkling as an option.
Even the divinity and humanity of Jesus was disputed among the followers of Jesus. The authority of the papal succession from Peter, the first Pope, the Bishop of Rome, came into question when Rome was no longer powerful. The Eastern Church wanted the Bishop of Constantinople, called a patriarch, to be head of the universal Church. All this led to a schism, a split in the Church in 1054.
Some returned to unity with the Pope and are referred to as The Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church. Those who did not return are under a patriarch and called the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Reformation in the sixteenth century brought about more divisions: Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, disapproved of some of the practices in the Catholic Church and founded the Lutheran Church. Eventually, the Catholic Church, itself, reformed those practices. As time went on, more divisions took place, so that today we have many Protestant denominations.
The Eucharist is viewed differently in the many Christian Churches. Some see the sacred bread as a symbol of Christ. On the other hand, Catholic Christians believe that the consecrated host is the Real Presence of Christ.
The basis for this belief is found in the event during which Jesus declares that He is the “Bread of Life.” (John 6:25-40) Many of His followers are not able to believe what Jesus is proclaiming, so they choose to leave Jesus, saying: “This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it?” (John 6:60)
Jesus does not call them back. Rather, He turns to His twelve disciples and asks them, “and you —would you also like to leave? Peter responds, “To whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that You are the Holy One who has come from God.” (John 6:68-69)
The current Catholic Church has maintained unity in its basic beliefs, however, there are some variations in the interpretation of some teachings. The guidance of the Pope and Bishops help to preserve unity within the universal church.
There is also unity in the prayer and sacramental life of the Church. The Mass is the same all over the world, although the prayers may be in a variety of languages. Devotion to Mary, the Blessed Mother, and the recitation of the rosary may be found in Catholic families and parishes. Today, we find Catholics frequently studying the Bible ever since the Second Vatican Council encouraged it.
Finally, the practice of charity, caring for all our brothers and sisters, is a unifying factor. All over the world, one can find schools, hospitals, social service centers, orphanages, homes for the aged, etc. A recent outreach is to families fleeing from violence and poverty in countries of South America, etc. They are given food, rest, and other necessities as they journey seeking asylum in the United States.
Reflection Question: How can I strive to bring about unity in my family, my workplace, my parish, my community, or my Country?
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Que Todos Sean Uno
Una y otra vez, el Señor nos llama a la unidad. Hay un viejo dicho que dice que “la repetición es la madre del aprendizaje”. Una historia que me impresionó de niño es la que se cuenta sobre San Juan cuando era mayor. Puede ser una historia para enseñar una lección en lugar de un hecho real, pero vale la pena reflexionar sobre ella.
La historia es la siguiente: en los últimos años de San Juan, cuando ofrecía misa, siempre daba el mismo sermón: “Hijitos, amémonos unos a otros”. Ese fue todo el sermón. La gente comenzó a pensar que se estaba volviendo senil, por lo que le preguntaron por qué decía lo mismo todos los domingos. Su respuesta simple fue: “Así es como Jesús quiere que vivamos”.
En el Evangelio de esta semana, tenemos la oportunidad de escuchar la oración de Jesús a su Padre:
Santo Padre, ruego no solo por ellos [los discípulos] sino también
para aquellos que creerán en mí por medio de su palabra, para que
todos ellos pueden ser uno, como tú, Padre, estás en mí y yo en ti,
para que ellos también estén en nosotros, para que el mundo crea
que tu me enviaste. (Juan 17: 20-21).
Obviamente, necesitamos las oraciones porque desde el principio de la Iglesia ha habido diferentes ideas sobre las prácticas e incluso sobre Jesucristo mismo. Estos han llevado a muchas divisiones dentro del cristianismo.
Una práctica que causó desacuerdos fue la forma de dar el bautismo. Algunos creían que la inmersión era necesaria para que un bautismo fuera válido; otros creían que la aspersión también era aceptable. Cuando bautizar a los bebés se convirtió en algo común, los católicos incluían el rociar como opción.
Incluso la divinidad y la humanidad de Jesús fueron disputadas entre los seguidores de Jesús. La autoridad de la sucesión papal de Pedro, el primer Papa, el obispo de Roma, se cuestionó cuando Roma ya no era poderosa. La Iglesia del Este quería que el obispo de Constantinopla, llamado patriarca, fuera el jefe de la Iglesia universal. Todo esto llevó a un cisma, una división en la Iglesia en 1054.
Algunos regresaron a la unidad con el Papa y se les conoce como el Rito Oriental de la Iglesia Católica. Los que no regresaron están bajo un patriarca y se llaman Iglesia Ortodoxa del Este.
La Reforma en el siglo XVI trajo más divisiones: Martín Lutero, un sacerdote católico, desaprobó algunas de las prácticas en la Iglesia Católica y fundó la Iglesia Luterana. Con el tiempo, la propia Iglesia Católica, reformó esas prácticas. Con el paso del tiempo, se produjeron más divisiones, de modo que hoy tenemos muchas denominaciones Protestantes.
La Eucaristía es vista de manera diferente en las muchas iglesias cristianas. Algunos ven el pan sagrado como un símbolo de Cristo. Por otro lado, los cristianos católicos creen que la hostia consagrada es la Presencia Real
de Cristo.
La base de esta creencia se encuentra en el evento durante el cual Jesús declara que Él es el “Pan de Vida”. (Juan 6:25-40) Muchos de sus seguidores no pueden creer lo que Jesús está proclamando, así que eligen deja a Jesús, diciendo: “Esta enseñanza es muy dura. ¿Quién puede escucharlo?” (Juan 6:60)
Jesús no los llama de vuelta. Más bien, se dirige a Sus doce discípulos y les pregunta: “y tú, ¿también te gustaría irte?” Pedro responde, “¿A quién iríamos? Tienes las palabras que dan vida eterna. Y ahora creemos y sabemos que Tú eres el Santo que ha venido de Dios.” (Juan 6:68-69)
La iglesia católica actual ha mantenido la unidad en sus creencias básicas, sin embargo, hay algunas variaciones en la interpretación de algunas enseñanzas. La guía del Papa y los obispos ayudan a preservar la unidad dentro de la iglesia universal.
También hay unidad en la oración y en la vida sacramental de la Iglesia. La misa es la misma en todo el mundo, aunque las oraciones pueden estar en varios idiomas. La devoción a María, la Santísima Madre y la recitación del rosario se pueden encontrar en las familias y parroquias católicas. Hoy en día, nos encontramos con católicos que estudian frecuentemente la Biblia desde que el Concilio Vaticano II lo alentó.
Finalmente, la práctica de la caridad, el cuidado de todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas, es un factor unificador. En todo el mundo, se pueden encontrar escuelas, hospitales, centros de servicios sociales, orfanatos, hogares para ancianos, etc. Una reciente divulgación es a familias que huyen de la violencia y la pobreza en países de América del Sur, etc. Se les da comida, descanso. y otras necesidades a medida que viajan en busca de asilo en los Estados Unidos.
Pregunta de Reflexión: ¿Cómo puedo esforzarme para lograr la unidad en mi familia, mi lugar de trabajo, mi parroquia, mi comunidad o mi país?
Comments:
Pat Chiaffa, ASBS
Whenever discord surfaces, my protocol is to pause, breathe, and ask myself what would be the consequences of disconnect. My next question is what outcome I desire. The costs of the bickering that exists in my own family are fractured relationships where trust is ruptured and hurts run deep. I desire connection and peace amongst family members; therefore, I am careful not to say anything that would contribute to the “us” against “them” mindset that fuels separation. I carefully choose words that promote forgiveness, compassion, and unity, and that raises awareness of our mutual interdependence upon one another, whether within family, workplace, parish, community, country or globe.
Blogger, Tim Challies, in a post he titled, “12 Ways to Preserve Christian Unity,” suggests two steps to promote unity that really resonate with me. “Be the first to seek reconciliation. As we do this we have the high honor of acting as an imitator of God.” Imagine the sense of community that is created when we respond to others with the unifying Love of God.
Secondly, “Pursue Humility.” Humility prepares us to serve instead of being served, to overlook an offense, to pursue every kind of unity, to respond with grace to every possible source of disunity.” I love the principle of responding with grace. Such an action seeds respect, dignity and compassion.
Prayer and an intimate relationship with God can help us hold the vision of unity in the midst of a chaotic, fear-based environment. According to Rick Warren, “More God = Less Fear.” Fear is the driving force behind much of the violence and hatred in our world. I say, let’s counter the madness with kindness and love.
Mohandas Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Michael Jackson, in his hit record, “Man in the Mirror,” had the world singing:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
These messages challenge us to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of World Do We Want to Live In?”
My friend, Jill, suggests creating a poster on which we write the words, images and sensations that come to mind when we ask ourselves that question. The poster can inspire, motivate, give hope, courage, and peace of mind. “Knowing what we long for reminds us who we are and what really matters.” As Jill puts it, “Conceive it; Believe it; Achieve it!”
Richard Rohr writes, “The Spirit of renewal resides within us all.” I find great comfort in that statement. We are here to lift one another up. We can start by doing little acts of kindness that naturally arouse Spirit in another.
A Mother’s Day tradition at my Parish is to give each mom at Mass a rose. The mothers were invited to take one flower out of the basket as they exited the front of the church. One little boy from the back of the church went up to get his mom a rose and to his dismay, the basket was empty. He was visibly saddened. I was in the back of the church observing this. An elderly woman intercepted the little boy and gave him her rose. She whispered to him to give it to his mommy along with a kiss. He beamed; I cried. Such a simple, kind gesture produced such love and grace. I believe grace has an energy. I felt it.
I did not have a rose to share with anyone, but I was inspired to do something beautiful for someone that day.
“Community is spirit speaking to spirit, and heart calling to heart,” according to Henri Nouwen, and the more times we offer ourselves to others at that level of intention, we “become ways to reveal to each other the Real Presence of God in our midst.”
That’s the kind of world I want to live in. What about you? Let’s do our part to make it a reality.
Blogger, Tim Challies, in a post he titled, “12 Ways to Preserve Christian Unity,” suggests two steps to promote unity that really resonate with me. “Be the first to seek reconciliation. As we do this we have the high honor of acting as an imitator of God.” Imagine the sense of community that is created when we respond to others with the unifying Love of God.
Secondly, “Pursue Humility.” Humility prepares us to serve instead of being served, to overlook an offense, to pursue every kind of unity, to respond with grace to every possible source of disunity.” I love the principle of responding with grace. Such an action seeds respect, dignity and compassion.
Prayer and an intimate relationship with God can help us hold the vision of unity in the midst of a chaotic, fear-based environment. According to Rick Warren, “More God = Less Fear.” Fear is the driving force behind much of the violence and hatred in our world. I say, let’s counter the madness with kindness and love.
Mohandas Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Michael Jackson, in his hit record, “Man in the Mirror,” had the world singing:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
These messages challenge us to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of World Do We Want to Live In?”
My friend, Jill, suggests creating a poster on which we write the words, images and sensations that come to mind when we ask ourselves that question. The poster can inspire, motivate, give hope, courage, and peace of mind. “Knowing what we long for reminds us who we are and what really matters.” As Jill puts it, “Conceive it; Believe it; Achieve it!”
Richard Rohr writes, “The Spirit of renewal resides within us all.” I find great comfort in that statement. We are here to lift one another up. We can start by doing little acts of kindness that naturally arouse Spirit in another.
A Mother’s Day tradition at my Parish is to give each mom at Mass a rose. The mothers were invited to take one flower out of the basket as they exited the front of the church. One little boy from the back of the church went up to get his mom a rose and to his dismay, the basket was empty. He was visibly saddened. I was in the back of the church observing this. An elderly woman intercepted the little boy and gave him her rose. She whispered to him to give it to his mommy along with a kiss. He beamed; I cried. Such a simple, kind gesture produced such love and grace. I believe grace has an energy. I felt it.
I did not have a rose to share with anyone, but I was inspired to do something beautiful for someone that day.
“Community is spirit speaking to spirit, and heart calling to heart,” according to Henri Nouwen, and the more times we offer ourselves to others at that level of intention, we “become ways to reveal to each other the Real Presence of God in our midst.”
That’s the kind of world I want to live in. What about you? Let’s do our part to make it a reality.
Stephanie Morris, Ph.D. Historian, Certified Archivist, Emerita
St. Katharine wrote that if we stop thinking about ourselves, most of our worries will disappear. If we are open to the needs and pain of others, we will be more patient with them.
St. Katharine wrote to the Sisters in 1913, about redeeming a part of the world. How could we do this?
“In the spirit of Holy Charity, helping one another, more and more; kinder, more and more; yielding opinion without contention more and more; bearing one another’s weaknesses and imperfections more and more. If we remind ourselves often that we are one in the Spirit, always in the presence of the Holy Trinity, we can find the patience and the strength to find the presence of God in each person we meet. Closer unity with God begins with peaceful community living with others on earth.”
