The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the attitudes and actions we need to abandon to surrender to the Will of God that we be one.
Becoming One
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the difficulty of Paul before the Council.
* [23:11] The occurrence of the vision of Christ consoling Paul and assuring him that he will be his witness in Rome prepares the reader for the final section of Acts: the journey of Paul and the word he preaches to Rome under the protection of the Romans.1
Psalm 16 is a song of trust and security in God.
* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11).2
The Gospel of John declares the priestly prayer of Jesus that “they may be one, as we are one.”
* [17:24] Where I am: Jesus prays for the believers ultimately to join him in heaven. Then they will not see his glory as in a mirror but clearly (2 Cor 3:18; 1 Jn 3:2).3
Ronald Fussell comments that this is the beauty of our faith – that we are all part of one body, each playing our individual roles, working together to create the Kingdom of God on Earth. This passage connects us as individuals, and groups of individuals, to the body of the Church in a beautiful and touching way.
As I prayed on this passage, I was moved to think about those moments during which I sought to expand relationships with others to broaden our faith community. It’s not always easy. Evil is at work in all of our lives, leading us to build walls to divide us instead of bridges to connect us. But being a follower of Jesus has always been about these encounters and about how we invite others into relationships of faith. I hope that as you read this passage, that you too might think for a few moments about what it means to be part of a global faith community. How do our behaviors attract, or drive others away from this faith community? Do we consistently behave in a way that exemplifies all that is good about our faith? Or, does our example send the message that others are not welcome. If you are anything like me, the answer probably lies somewhere in between.4
Don Schwager quotes “Prayer of unity for all who believe,” by Cyprian of Carthage - first martyr bishop of Africa, 200-258 A.D.
"The Lord's loving-kindness, no less than his mercy, is great in respect of our salvation in that, not content to redeem us with his blood, he in addition prayed for us. See now what the desire of his petition was, that just as the Father and Son are one, so also we should abide in absolute unity. From this, it may be evident how greatly someone sins who divides unity and peace, since even the Lord himself petitioned for this same thing. He no doubt desired that his people should in this way be saved and live in peace since he knew that discord cannot come into the kingdom of God." (excerpt from THE LORD'S PRAYER 30.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 17:20-26 comments that we often think about how we belong to Christ because of our faith, and of course that’s true. But then we think about how weak our faith must be and, as a result, how our belonging to Christ must be weak as well.
Peter denied Jesus three times, and the others ran away and hid when Jesus was arrested and executed. They experienced plenty of faults, failings, and lack of understanding, just as we do. Still, Jesus “loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Still, he came back to them and said, “Peace be with you” (20:19). Jesus loves you too. He knows how weak you are. He knows how easily you fall to temptation. But he still treasures you as God’s gift to him, and he still wants to have you by his side (John 17:24). So when you see a fault, repent quickly. Remind yourself that falling short of God’s intentions doesn’t define you. It’s what God says about you that defines you. And he says that you are a gift that he delights to give his Son. “Thank you, Jesus, for accepting me as God’s gift to you. Help me to remember who I am today.”6
Friar Jude Winkler shares the backstory of Paul being arrested in the Temple. Speaking before the Sanhedrin, Paul plays on their different beliefs. Friar Jude reflects on the Gospel of John as a consecratory prayer for those who would come later to know the love of Jesus and to reveal the truth about the Father.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in time Viktor Frankl and Edith Eger developed a friendship and he mentored her as she became a therapist, specializing in treating those suffering from PTSD.
The choice to accept myself as I am: human, imperfect. And the choice to be responsible for my own happiness. To forgive my flaws and reclaim my innocence. To stop asking why I deserved to survive. To function as well as I can, to commit myself to serve others, to do everything in my power to honor my parents, to see to it that they did not die in vain. To do my best, in my limited capacity, so future generations don’t experience what I did. To be useful, to be used up, to survive and to thrive so I can use every moment to make the world a better place. And to finally, finally stop running from the past. To do everything possible to redeem it, and then let it go. I can make the choice that all of us can make. I can’t ever change the past. But there is a life I can save: It is mine. The one I am living right now, this precious moment. . . .7
The obstacles to living as one Body of Christ include our desire to win and our reluctance to seek transformation from our past through the Love of the Spirit.
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