Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel this Sunday speaks about the beginnings of a community of disciples, the Church, the world-wide Catholic faith community.

 Jesus, truly human and truly divine, who through his death/resurrection by the power of the Spirit re-established our friendship with God, is gloriously alive in all his fulness in the one Church He founded. We are called to continue his ministry by doing all the good we can until he comes again to create a “new heaven and a new earth.”

God dwells within us, by virtue of baptism. We possess the “spark of the divine.” So, how do we reflect the presence of God in what we say and do?

Jesus prayed that this community would always be one. Yet over the centuries this community of disciples of Jesus has divided. I explore this, and efforts to bridge the gaps, in my book Christian Unity: The Next Step - 'That They May All be One.'

All Christians profess one Lord, one faith and one baptism. But they have split into different traditions: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. And that’s why we have a week of prayer for Christian Unity, beginning on Monday, January 18-25.

As we pray with Jesus that we may all be one, we might ask "why should I belong to this Catholic community of disciples of Jesus?” Here are some good reasons:

•       We are a worldwide community of believers (more than 1.2 billion people, rich and poor, black and white, American, European, Asian and African), celebrating the presence of the living Christ in all his fulness, sacramentally and mystically, especially in the liturgy.

 •       We are a community with splendid heroes and heroines praying for us: "Benedict, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Dominic, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Vincent de Paul and Therese of Lisieux”—the litany goes on and on. These are good role models in our quest for a meaningful life.

 •       We take a stand on peace and justice. The Catholic community sponsors and staffs shelters, schools and hospitals and hospice services, soup kitchens, literacy programs, day-care and treatment centers throughout the world. Catholic Relief Services and Refugee agencies attempt to meet the basic needs of the poor. 

Yes, Jesus is the foundation of this community. We give thanks for this community that calls us to a fulfilling life with God here and now, and to eternal life where we shall be like God and see God face-to-face. 

Let us pray, especially this week, for the unity Jesus sought, that we may all be one: each and every person bringing our creative gifts from God for the good of humankind. Amen.