If you have participated in a funeral Mass here at Sacred Heart in the last seven years, you know that I make it a point to welcome everyone who is there, especially those of other faith traditions. I normally try to make them as comfortable as I can with our liturgy, and alert them of the three postures, stand, sitting and kneeling, that we take at various times of the Mass. At Communion time, I let them know, once again, that we are blessed to have people of all faiths with us, and share my hopes that we can some day be united in the Lord as Jesus Himself willed (John 17:20). I also ask for their respect for our difference in belief about Holy Communion, and either come up for a blessing, or remain in their pews during the distribution of Communion.
Hopes and prayers for Christrian unity is a goal and activity worthy of us attaining and doing, respectively, every day. It is also something that is so much closer than it was just 50 years ago. The amount of dialogue and respect that has been shown both by religious leaders and lay people, has grown greatly, and the ill will, and even denial of salvation outside of any particular denomination, has truly subsided, thanks be to God (through the workings of the Holy Spirit). This past weekend, an editorial in the "Arkansas Catholic," written by the presiding bishop of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) said "Though we have not yet arrived, we have claimed that we are, in fact, on the way to unity...."
Our recent Popes have certainly done much to encourage healthy and meaningful dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths, and many positive results have often come from these encounters. Here in the Village, as in most places, the challenges are many in this regard. I site, however, the fact that I get more than a few flyers and letters from some of the local churches inviting me and Sacred Heart Parishioners to join them in some of their activities and missions, as one example of how far we have come in the last 30 to 40 years. I pray that all of us will do our part to promote both fraternity and unity among our Christian brothers and sisters.
Hopes and prayers for Christrian unity is a goal and activity worthy of us attaining and doing, respectively, every day. It is also something that is so much closer than it was just 50 years ago. The amount of dialogue and respect that has been shown both by religious leaders and lay people, has grown greatly, and the ill will, and even denial of salvation outside of any particular denomination, has truly subsided, thanks be to God (through the workings of the Holy Spirit). This past weekend, an editorial in the "Arkansas Catholic," written by the presiding bishop of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) said "Though we have not yet arrived, we have claimed that we are, in fact, on the way to unity...."
Our recent Popes have certainly done much to encourage healthy and meaningful dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths, and many positive results have often come from these encounters. Here in the Village, as in most places, the challenges are many in this regard. I site, however, the fact that I get more than a few flyers and letters from some of the local churches inviting me and Sacred Heart Parishioners to join them in some of their activities and missions, as one example of how far we have come in the last 30 to 40 years. I pray that all of us will do our part to promote both fraternity and unity among our Christian brothers and sisters.