One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,

Unity - how could the so-called reformers have missed this in the Bible, you know, the Book that they say contains EVERYTHING you need to know to be a Christian?  Here again, we are listening to Jesus speak to His Father, giving an account of His mission on earth and praying for those whom He will be leaving behind. He could have asked for anything in these last private moments at the Last Supper when He was speaking to His Father and He chose to pray for unity.  

How did Martin Luther figure that pulling the Church apart would keep us united, to be one as Jesus as one with the Father?  Of course, we know, that once he separated from the Church, he set the precedent that others would follow.  If you disagreed with the teaching of your particular church, simply split off and form another.  This constant spinning off of new denominations has generated at least thirty-thousand versions of the truth each child just slightly different than the one that was the parent.

There is an old contemporary Christian song which includes the words, "In our hearts, we're undivided, worshipping one savior, one lord."  As comforting as that thought is, it is not true. Before the revolt that spawned the drift to denominationalism, there was one reality and that was the Roman Catholic Church.  Before Martin Luther took an ax and chopped up Christian unity every Christian could look to the authority of the Church for interpretation of Scripture.  Instead, today we have the Protestant belief that every person can interpret Scripture correctly.  If that were so then why are there different denominations?  It is because the Scripture is interpreted differently by each denomination. 

Do only Catholics go to heaven?  Certainly not!  I am sure that God loves all of His children and it is His will that all people have the same chance of becoming a saint.  I also believe that when you are in the Church that Jesus founded and having the benefit of the whole truth being taught that you have a greater chance of living the kind of life that merits heaven.  I am sure that there are Protestants out there that live holier lives than I do and I am certain that they will enter heaven before me. This is the will of God.  But then, could the split of the Church into denominations be His will as well?  No, and we know this how?  We have our reading for today where Jesus asks that we be one as the Father and Son are one. 

We must pray for Christian Unity.  Our Protestant brothers and sisters miss so much of the goodness of the Lord by keeping themselves outside of the Church. Let us strive for the day when discord becomes unity and we unite again into One Body of Christ. 

Please remember that Purgatory is a real place, it is not made up. Pray for those that are there for they cannot do anything themselves to shorten their time.  Remember as well that as they are today you might someday be.