One Table, One Family
“Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.” (Ezekiel 37:21-28)
Today’s readings show us God’s desire for us to be one as he is one. As Catholics we believe there is one true Church and that one true Church is Catholic, Apostolic, and holds the fullness of Truth. However, we know that there are many Christians in the world who are not Catholic.
Even though we are called to defend the truth of our Church today’s Scripture reminds us that we are also called to be united. How are we to achieve unity without compromising our integrity?
Don’t Be Afraid To Reach Out
I once wrote an article titled “7 Things Every Protestant Should Know About Catholicism”. In the article I briefly explained some of the most commonly misunderstood beliefs of the Catholic faith. The article was aimed at Protestants and did not take a defensive or offensive stance.
In fact, I made it clear that the reason I wrote the article was to help bridge the gap of understanding between Catholics and Protestants. I made sure to recognize the attempts at authentic Christianity found in other churches and I made it a point to praise the good things that Protestant Christians do for the faith of the whole church.
That article received over eighty thousand views in just over a month and many comments on the article were from Protestant Christians. Don’t be afraid to invite others to learn about the Catholic faith. You’ll find that non-Catholics are often very interested and have many questions about Catholicism.
Unity Without Compromise
It’s easy to get caught up in a debate about Catholicism, Protestantism, or Eastern Orthodoxy. When we feel passionate about something being true we have a natural tendancy to defend it. However, we have to be careful about being so concerned with speaking the truth that we forget to first show love.
If we want others to listen to us we also have to be willing to listen. If we want others to recognize the good that Catholicism does for the world, we also have to recognize where they do good. We can do this without compromising our faithfulness to the Catholic Church.
There is nothing wrong with recognizing what we have in common with our non-Catholic brothers and sisters. This is a form of love. We are all children of God and if we can learn to love our brothers and sisters that love is what will draw them to us.
Let us pray for the unity that God desires of us so that one day we may all sit at one table as one family in Christ.
