THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JANUARY 25, 2026
Recently I was in a Center City restaurant having lunch with a Saint John's parishioner. We were talking about Saint John's church business and activities. I overheard people at the table next to ours also talking about their own church and about their faith. I became curious and began eavesdropping on their conversation, perhaps tuning out of the conversation at my table.
The people at the next table were obviously enthusiastic about their church. I wondered whether they were Catholic and I was trying to overhear hints that would reveal which branch of Christianity they were part of. After a while, I understood that they were enthusiastic Christians, but not Catholic. I am embarrassed to say that I was disappointed. They clearly had gospel energy and I had hoped that their energy was contributing to the growth of the Catholic Church.
But now, reflecting on this experience, I should be happy that these good people were committed to making known the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a Catholic, I love the Catholic Church and believe that it is uniquely the Church of Jesus. However, I recognize that I have some religious prejudices that are not rooted in the Gospel.
For 1000 years there was one Christian Church, the Catholic Church. The Christians of the East and West grew apart and in 1054 there was a decisive split and from that time on there were two Christian Churches, the Orthodox of the East and the Catholics of the West. In the 16th century, Martin Luther initiated another break from the Catholic Church and the Reformation spawned thousands of diverse Christian communities, Protestants of all kinds, Evangelicals, Anglicans and more.
It seems that the Church is now hopelessly divided into many different communities. But for believers in a powerful God, hopeless is not the right word. Despite our separation, we all share the same baptism. Baptism in Orthodox and Protestant churches is the same as in the Catholic Church. While we cannot share the Eucharist together, we share one baptism. It is a scandal that Christians are separated into different religious groups, though we all share the same baptism.
Our separation from the Orthodox is especially tragic. We actually don't have significant doctrinal differences. The major reasons for our separation are historical hurts remembered, cultural differences and mistrust. Before we can resolve the theological issues, we have to trust one another. We need to treat one another warmly as brothers and sisters in Christ. As to the Reformation Christians, there are significant doctrinal divisions, even though we agree on the most essential Christian teachings. Even here, cultural differences and mistrust are barriers.
You and I can't resolve the doctrinal issues that divide Christians into different churches and communities, but we can treat other Christians as brothers and sisters. This is the essential first step. In my lifetime, relations between Christians has gotten better, but we still have a long way to go. Is Christian unity a priority for you, a unity that is not just converting other Christians to the Catholic Church, but which comes from a respectful and humble dialogue?
January 18-25 is the Octave for Prayer for Christian Unity. Though this Octave of prayer ends this weekend, we should pray often that we who already share one baptism may soon be able to share unity of faith so that we can also share one Eucharist.
