The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-02-27
We Must Help
Unite All In Faith
JOSEPH BREIC-

Pope John in due time will announce the details
of the world council of the Church which he has call
ed for the edification of all Christians and the reun-
ion of separated Christians. Meanwhile, comment
must remain in large part tentative.
This much, however, is unquestionable sim
cere and humble prayer for a great outpouring of
Gods grace upon the troubled human race is the
chief contribution which each of us can make.
The obstacles in the way of full and perfect
Christian unity are great, Not to face that fact
would be unrealistic. But there is a balancing fact, 1t
remains true, as always, that whatever we ask of
the Father truly in Chrst's name-that is, in accord
with Chrst's will-will be granted in Gods time.
OUR PRAYER, however, must be honest. It
must be without reservations or hypocrisies. We
must be prepared to face up to divine truth. We
must seek not our own wills and self-servings, but
the will of Christ which is the will of God.
The most poignant of the prayers of Christ was
His prayer the night before His death, when He APP
pealed to the heavenly Father that He and His fol-
lowers might be one. | have taken the following
passage from Msgr. Knoxs translation in the 18th
chapter of st. Johns Gospel
Keep Them holy, then, through the truth; it is thy
word that is true. Thou hast sent me into the world
on thy errand, and have sent them into the world
on my errand; and dedicate myself for their sakes,
that they too may be dedicated through the truth.
III is not only for them that pray; pray for
those who are to find faith in me through their word;
that they all may be one; that they too may be one in
US, as thou Father, art in me, and in thee; 50 that
the world may come TO believe that it is thou who has
sent me-"
We who are to be one in Christ must be one
through the holiness that comes of truth - the
truth that is the word of God. Keep them holy
through the truth" Jesus prayed.
Our prayer for unity must be a prayer of holt
ness and truth. We are not honest with Christ,
and our prayer is not honest, if we water down
some aspect of the word OF God to excuse ourselves
for not living up to it.
What we ought to do, in this period preceding
Pope Johns world council, is ruthlessly to uproot
from our hearts every attachment to falsehood or
wrong which prevents our prayer from being what
it ought to be.
THE PRAYERS THAI will flood the earth
with Gods blessings and prepare mankind. for a
real movement toward unity in Christ are the prayers
that proceed from clean and pure courage. If we
want unity. we must pray with Christ: keep us
holy then, through the truth"
It is true, for example, that the Mass is the
perfect prayer, worthy of God because it is God the
Son made man for us. sacrificing Himself for our
sake again and again. .bloodlessly but truly. If we
neglect the Mass, how honest are our prayers for
unity?
1t is true that in the sacrament of the altar,
Christ wishes with all His heart to give Himself to
nourish our souls. to make us holy in truth, to en-
tighten and strengthen us in Gods word. If we stay
away from Communion, is our prayer what it ought
to be? '
IT is TRUE that as Christians our business is
to be saints and to help to sanctify society. If we
marriages as Christians but live our home life as If we
were pagans, is not our prayer for Christian unity
hypocritical? If our very families are disunited, how
can we unite the family of humanity?
1t is true that giving aims is a most beautiful
form of prayer, bringing the blessings of God in
abundance. If we give like misers to our parishes,
to the missions. and to the poor, do not we add our
selves to the obstacles in the way of Christian unity.
1t is true that the truly Christian heart abides
in love of God and ellowmen. If with our tongues
us or give bad example, what right have we, as
and our behavior we repeatedly wound those around
apostles of divisions among men, to expect that our
prayers for unity will be heard?
No; we must pray honestly with Christ Whe
said: Keep them holy. then, through the truth -.
| dedicate myself for their sakes, that they too may
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