Wednesday of the
Seventh Week of Easter
(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)
Passing a large Evangelical church, the deacon commented
over its recent history. He said that a
few years ago after a disagreement with the pastor, a member formed his own
church. The two Christian churches were
among several others in the village of no more than a thousand people.
The proliferation of separate churches is a common
phenomenon. It is said that there are
more than forty thousand Christian denominations world-wide. This development
betrays Jesus’ prayer for unity among his followers in today’s gospel.
Jesus prays that his disciples may not be given to the
ways of the world. He wants them to avoid
egotism which results in division. In
contrast, they are to practice humility which respects the authority established
in his apostles. As the first reading
attests, church unity has proven to be a daunting challenge. Since in its early days, the Church has contended with people who “pervert the
truth” to gather their own followers.
Given this reality, it is remarkable that the Catholic
Church encompasses a seventh of the world’s population. It also maintains the faith of the
apostles. But these facts cannot be taken
as reasons for complacency. We must
strive to control our rebellious tendencies.
We too may become so dissatisfied that we want to form another
sect. We also should work for
reconciliation with other Christian communities. This means understanding our Catholic system
of thought so that we might share it with others. It also involves prayer for unity and penance
for past offenses.
