IN FAITH
REFLECTIONS ON WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY
“And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11 RSV)
For some Christian denominations, the first Sunday of October is designated as “World Communion Sunday.” For those denominations, which celebrate Holy Communion or the Eucharist infrequently, it is to be a reminder that we are “one,” as part of the body of Christ. At the same time, there are Christian Churches, Roman Catholics, Protestant Christian Churches, and Orthodox Churches, which celebrate either the Mass or the Eucharist or Holy Communion weekly. The “oneness” which Jesus in his high priestly prayer in John’s gospel called his followers to, is not to be found literally. The Church of Jesus Christ has splintered into Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant branches. For a long time, there were “hard feelings” among these different branches of the same family. In the early 1960’s Pope John 23rd called the Second Vatican Council, which was not a council to address doctrinal issues, but was rather a council to address pastoral issues. Two of the important issues raised in that council were the status of the Protestant Churches and the status of other religions, particularly Judaism. In that council, Pope John the 23rd took the Roman Catholic Church in a bold direction, no longer treating the Protestant Churches as those who were lost and condemned, but rather as “separated brethren,” to use the language of the council. And the Roman Catholic Church undertook a new bold direction in its relationship with Judaism, and opened dialogue with that religion.
Since then, many dialogues have been begun in the name of ecumenism. The word “ecumenism,” is a word, which comes from a Greek word, oikumene, which means “common,” or “together.” Often the symbol used to denote ecumenism is a boat. It reminds us that the Church of Jesus Christ is a boat, in which Jesus’ followers ride. It is a boat, which is like Noah’s Ark, a boat, which shields us from the storms around us, and gives us safe passage to the true Promised Land, heaven itself. One way of looking at ecumenical relations is to understand that “we are all in the same boat.” Though the Protestant Reformation took place in the 16th century, led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Bucer, and others, the rift which took place left scars. The Reformers did not intend to create new denominations. They intended to help reform a church in need of reforming. And, it’s not possible in this short article to address all of the issues of the Protestant Reformation or the Catholic Counter Reformation.
It’s obvious now, after roughly ten centuries of separation between Catholic and Orthodox branches of the family, and after almost five centuries of separation between Catholic and Protestant branches of the family, that unless a miracle occurs, we will not again be literally “one” denomination. The disagreements over doctrine are too great. The hurt feelings are still there in all branches of the family. But, a miracle has occurred. The miracle is, that at least in the United States, Christians of all different branches of the family have chosen to help one another in their times of desperate need. As I write this even now, Hurricane Isabel is battering the East Coast of the United States. Perhaps the greatest example of Christian unity is not just the many dialogues, which have taken place since Vatican 2. The greatest example of Christian unity is the love and charity, which will flow to those who are devastated in natural disaster or in another time of severe need. Though separated by doctrines, which help define each branch of the family’s beliefs, the one thing, which unites us is love for Christ, and love for neighbor. So, on October 5, when all branches of the family sit down to Sunday dinner, we need to remember that it is the Lord’s Table at which we sit. And it is the Lord’s Church to which we belong. And that is the source of our unity, Jesus Christ himself, and our love for him and commitment to him. It is that love for Christ, which makes us truly one.
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