3rd Sunday 2017 - Struggle For Unity

As you are aware, as of this date, we are in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It began Wed. 18th and continues through to Wed. 25th. Theme this year: Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20). I’m sure you are all familiar with ancient saying, “United we stand – divided we fall.” - often used in a political context to emphasize the importance and need to build strong alliances; realizing that our enemies are applying its antithesis, “Divide and concur!”  As important as it is in a political sense, it is no less true in a religious and spiritual sense as well. Clearly, our religious life is not immune to this destructive behavour. In the book of Sirach,  - "My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal." (chapter 2: 1-18) Ever since Cain killed his brother Able, this original sin has been locked into our very D&A, as it were; evidenced by our long, long history of human conflicts, both political and religious.  Our religious/spiritual life is a work unfolding in the midst of a spiritual warfare. We have an enemy intent on our destruction. The weapon of choice against us is “disunity”, separating us from God and one another. Our enemy drives wedges of doubt, confusion, half truths and lies between us and God. Once separated from God’s truth and his divine plan for us, we are easily lead down a path of self destruction and death. That is why we see Jesus preparing for his ministry by going into the wilderness to engage the Great Deceiver in spiritual warfare, warfare that will end with Jesus victory on the Cross. St. Paul, in our second reading, is crystal clear in his understanding of this reality. He sees evidence of this divisiveness already infiltrating the fledgling Christian Church in Corinth, so he is warning them.   I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. But sadly, throughout the history of the Church, divisions have afflicted the Church from within. But from the time of the Second Vatican Council, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a powerful movement to heal these wounds of division has been at work, an ecumenical movement. In an article on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Fr. Thomas Rosica describes this period this way. "So much has been achieved in joint efforts for Christian unity over the past 50 years. Separated Christians no longer consider one another as strangers, competitors or even enemies, but as brothers and sisters. We have largely removed the former lack of understanding, misunderstanding, prejudice, and indifference; we pray together, together we give witness to our common faith; in many fields we work together. We have experienced that “what unites us is much greater than what divides us.” (Part Two) But he goes on to caution: "Yet after the first rather euphoric phase of the ecumenical movement that followed the Second Vatican Council, the last decades have seen us experiencing signs of tiredness, disillusionment and stagnation. Some go so far as to speak even of a crisis, and many Christians no longer understand the differences on which the churches are arguing with each other."  (Part Two) St. Paul’s direction to the church in Corinth and now to us is to Focus on Jesus, person to person. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom so that the Cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.For the message about the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Second Reading (1Corinthians 1.10-13, 17-18) This exhortation is the same for us today. The names have changed but the condition of loss of focus is the same. Before the theological issues, before the political issues are addressed, our deep, personal and spiritual union with Jesus must come first. Then as Pope Francis is directing us: "Go forth to build bridges to unite us with our brothers and sisters, now separated, who are likewise focused. +*+*+*+*+ Links to Fr. Rosica's three part series, quoted above. The Decree on Ecumenism: 50 Years Later. Part One ..... link. Part Two ..... link. Part Three ..... link. Link to a previous VOICES Post: Link ...... ->

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