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What does it mean for separated Christians to be one? What does it really mean for Christians to faithfully respond to Christ’s call to be one family, as God, the Trinity, is a family sharing one life?
Article Taken From:
Purchase "Rising in Christ" by Pope John Paul II. Edited by Jo Garcia-Cobb and Keith E. Cobb.
At the Last Supper, Christ opened his heart in ardent prayer to the Father, saying: “I do not pray for these only [the apostles], but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17:20-21). To commonly call Christ “Lord” and yet to be in a state of disunity is, indeed, a painful reality for Christians everywhere.
As we join the pope in his meditations on the path of Christian unity, let us pray that we will hear Christ’s call for unity in our hearts and build upon “the recognition of the primary unity which already exists because of baptism.” This unity, the Holy Father states, “binds the baptized to one another, … a unity that perpetually persists notwithstanding whatever differences and divisions have arisen.”
“Our Lord and our God, you alone can conquer all divisions among your people, as you alone can conquer death. Although we experience separation, let your love be the love we have for each other. Purify us from prejudice, pride, and all else that separates us from you and each other. Help us to keep building upon the unity that already exists by working together for peace and justice in the world. We ask you to bless all ecumenical dialogue with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May the gifts we offer to the cause of Christian unity bring us ever closer to becoming the undivided family you call us to be.”
The Soul of the Ecumenical Movement
As Christians today strive to be sources of reconciliation in the world, they feel the need, perhaps more urgently than ever before, to be fully reconciled among themselves. For the sin of disunity among Christians, which has been with us for centuries, weighs heavily upon the church. The seriousness of this sin was clearly shown at the Second Vatican Council, which stated: “Without doubt, this discord openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and inflicts damage on the most holy cause of proclaiming the good news to every creature” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 1).
Restoration of unity among Christians is one of the main concerns of the church… . And this task is for all of us. No one can claim exemption from this responsibility. Indeed, everyone can make some contribution, however small it may seem, and all are called to that interior conversion which is the essential condition for ecumenism. As the Second Vatican Council taught: “This change of heart and holiness of life, along with the public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and can rightly be called ‘spiritual ecumenism’”(Unitatis Redintegratio, 8).
The Holy Spirit, who is the source of all unity, provides the body of Christ with a “variety of gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:4), so that it may be built up and strengthened. As the Holy Spirit granted the apostles the gift of tongues, so that all gathered in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost might hear and understand the one gospel of Christ, should we not expect the same Holy Spirit to grant us the gifts we need in order to continue the work of salvation, and to be reunited as one body in Christ? In this we trust and for this we pray, confident in the power which the Spirit gave to the church at Pentecost.1
Continue on the Path of Full Unity
Although unity is a gift which we human beings could never achieve on our own, nonetheless we have a duty to seek it and to work for it. It is an essential characteristic of the church, which is always “one, holy, Catholic and apostolic,” as we profess in the Creed. But while the church is one, there is disunity among Christians. And the task of restoring unity among all who believe in Christ becomes ever more urgent. The past and present divisions are a scandal to non-Christians, a glaring contradiction of the will of Christ, a serious obstacle to the church’s efforts to proclaim the gospel.
The work of ecumenism demands our constant efforts and fervent prayers. It begins with the recognition of that primary unity which already exists because of baptism, a unity which truly binds the baptized to one another and gives them a common share in the life of the Most Holy Trinity. [It is] a unity that perpetually persists notwithstanding whatever differences or divisions have arisen. The words of St. Paul remain forever true: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).
But we must be eager to work for the fullness of unity among the followers of Christ… . We rejoice to see the ecumenical progress which has already been achieved: the overcoming of long-standing prejudices, false judgments, and disparaging expressions; the great growth in reciprocal understanding and fraternal respect; the significant progress in dialogue and in collaboration in the service of humanity; and the increasing opportunities for common prayer which respects the different traditions. Let us continue on the path to full unity, looking forward in hope to the day when we shall be truly one, just as the Father and Son are one.
In a certain sense, the unity of Christ’s disciples is a condition for fulfilling the mission of the church; not only that, it is a condition for fulfilling the mission of Christ himself in the world. It is a condition for effectively proclaiming and consolidating faith in Christ. Thus Jesus prayed: “That they may all be one … so that the world may believe that you have sent me … that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:21, 23)… .
See every person as a child of God. The gift of unity which the church has received from God gives her a special responsibility in the human family: namely, to promote dialogue and understanding among all, to work for unity and peace in our divided world.
Conflicts and tensions abound today. Nations are divided between East and West, North and South, friend and enemy. And within the borders of every country … can be found opposing groups and factions, rivalries arising from prejudice and ideologies, from historical stereotypes and ethnic barriers, and from a variety of other factors, none of which are worthy of our human dignity.
It is in this divided world that the church is sent forth today to promote harmony and peace. In charity and truth she goes forth: in that charity which sees every person as a child of God, as a brother or sister of equal dignity—regardless of his or her social status, regardless of his or her race or religion.2