Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11-19)
Latin America has become pluralistic with regard to religion. In most cities Protestant churches dot neighborhoods like little grocery stores, and missionaries pace the streets inviting people to taste their spiritual food. There is little concern for ecumenism. Priests see the missionaries as bandits raiding their flocks. Meanwhile, Protestant pastors criticize Catholicism as the unfaithful spouse of the word of God. The situation defies Jesus’ prayer for unity in the gospel today.
Jesus asks his Father to make all those who believe in him one in faith and charity. He has in mind all the churches that his disciples will establish. We extend that vision today with the hope, expressed by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical That They May Be One, that Christian communities of the Reformation as well as those of Orthodoxy some day share with Catholics the Eucharist. We can move toward the realization of this goal by cooperating with other branches of Christianity on charitable projects and by participating in ecumenical dialogues and prayer services.
