From
January 18-25, the Catholic Church joins other Christian Churches for the
annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We do so inspired by Our Lord, who
prayed to His Heavenly Father that those who believe in Him “may all be one, as
you, Father, are in me and I in you" (John 17:21).
The
sources of division among Christians are many, complex and often centuries old.
They are also contrary to the mind of Christ and an obstacle to the Church’s
primary mission of evangelization. More powerful than what divides us, however,
is what unites us as brothers and sisters in Christ, including our faith in
Jesus, the wisdom of the Word of God, the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit
and the grace of a common Baptism.
During
this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I invite all Catholics to promote
harmony by our dialogue and cooperation with Christians of other denominations and
through the spiritual practices of prayer and penance. Through God’s grace, may
we achieve greater communion in our Church and in our world.
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2018