Dear Parishioners,

In John 17, our Lord prays for the entire Church. He prays that He may be glorified in them and that they may all be one. Just as the Father and He are one, so He desires the same unity among all Christians. In this spirit, the Church asks that we pray for Christian unity during the week of January 18th-25th.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, an event that to this day divides Christians into the many denominations. It can be rightly claimed that Martin Luther correctly pointed out many abuses within the Church. However, there were many doctrinal issues that he incorrectly asserted such as Salvation by Faith Alone and Sole Authority of Sacred Scripture. Furthermore, the debate over these issues quickly escalated into issues of nationalism and other Christian thinkers promoting different and contradictory ideas.

The point is that human sin on all sides obscured the message of Christ: egos got in the way of searching for truth, and might of arms replaced open debate. These sins caused a deep divide among Christians that we still feel today. Division obscures the message of Christ. It makes it harder to evangelize and speak the truth. It even makes it harder to find what is true and authentically Christian. The only way to overcome sin is through a spirit of prayer and penance. But, most importantly, we need to have our eye on Christ.

Christ is what unites the Church. Christ is the Church’s head and the reason for the Church’s existence. He has already defeated fear and death. So, we all need to trust in Him. If all Christians can unite, then Christ’s prayer is fulfilled and He will be glorified in all Christians. So, if you can, please take a moment today to pray for unity, that we may heal this division within our Church.

God bless,

Fr. Carter