Skip to main content

Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity

I haven't really thought about it, or frankly, prayed about it consciously. I know that it is deeper in my heart than even that. I carry my Reformed brethren especially with me especially as I attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As we say, "In your compassion, O merciful Father, gather to yourself all your children, scattered throughout the world."

I'm especially thankful for those of you who, out of deep conviction, believe you cannot be Catholic. That is, you believe us to be wrong. We do not long for Christian unity from pure sentiment, and I would not encourage anyone to seek full communion with the Catholic Church on that basis.

Rather, I believe it is an authentic work of the Holy Spirit when He convinces people of strong conviction to re-examine the frameworks for those beliefs, out of fidelity to Him, and to Christ. The converts I know are not flakes; they did not suddenly tire of caring about revealed truth. Quite the opposite.

People who understand and sympathize with non-Catholic beliefs make the best converts, because that difference, which the Church classifies as error, is to them a familiar path. Imperfect, but faithful.

That's why the popular Catholic teachers tend to be converts. It's also why our theology of salvation is necessarily nuanced. A pagan who sees his errors and comes to Christ doesn't have the same journey as a Lutheran; not even close. Other Catholics who fail to note this don't necessarily help the cause. Into Your hands, O Christ, do we commit this cause, for it was first your prayer to the Father.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more
Hilarious Com-Box Quote of The Day: "I was caught immediately because it is the Acts of the Apostles, not the Acts of the Holy Spirit Acting Erratically."--Donald Todd, reacting to the inartful opposition of the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium. Mark Galli, an editor at Christianity Today, had suggested that today's "confusion" in evangelicalism replicates a confusion on the day of Pentecost. Mr. Todd commented after this reply , and the original article is here. My thoughts: By what means was this Church-less "consensus" formed? If the Council did not possess the authority to adjudicate such questions, who does? If the Council Fathers did not intend to be the arbiters, why do they say that they do? At the risk of being rude, I would define evangelicalism as, "Whatever I want or need to believe at any particular time." Ecclesial authority to settle a particular question is a step forward, but only as long as, "God alone is Lord of the con...
17 comments
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more