That They May Be One
On the night before his arrest, Christ prayed that his followers would be one. In the Gospel of John, he prays not only for his disciples but for those who would come after them: I do not pray for these...
Tagged: division
A Personal Reminiscence (with an Afterword)
My paternal grandparents owned a home in Rosedale, Queens. Although I was there only a handful of times, I remember their Tudor house in striking detail. I can still feel the fibers of the large, oval braided rug set beneath...
Everyone You Meet Carries a Heavy Load
In recent days, the polarization and hostility that is dividing even the Body of Christ has been stunning. We at Where Peter Is have witnessed it on our personal social media accounts and on the threads of Smart Catholics, where...
Created for Communion
A reflection on the readings for June 9, 2024 On September 19, 1985, at around 7 a.m., Mexico City and its surrounding area suffered one of the largest earthquakes in its history, registering 8.1 on the Richter scale. The consequences...
The Challenge to Unite
A reflection on the Sunday Readings for January 22, 2023 — the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time As the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs dawns upon us this weekend, we are blessed to witness some genuinely epic rivalries between...
Is Liturgical Diversity Divisive?
The National Catholic Register recently published a blog post by Kevin Di Camillo, which argued that the “Traditional Latin Mass” shouldn’t be “silenced,” since a diversity of liturgical expressions doesn’t threaten Church unity. He writes: My liberal Catholic friends usually...
Is it our job to divide?
Is division a necessary part of being a truth-telling Christian? Some Catholics, including clergy, point to Jesus’ statement in Luke 12 as a clear indication that divisiveness is part of our calling as Christians: Do you think that I have...
Political Divisions and the Path to Unity
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher to the Papal Household, did not mince words during his homily on Good Friday this year. “Fraternity among Catholics is wounded! Divisions between Churches have torn Christ’s tunic to shreds, and worse still, each shredded...
Christ’s plea for unity in a divided Church
With the Holy Triduum forthcoming, the prayer of Jesus prior to his arrest is timely for our contemplation: “I pray…that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be...
Still, A Time to Give Thanks
This has been a Thanksgiving like no other. A national holiday that we otherwise celebrate with abandon is being observed with utmost caution, restraint, devoid of large family gatherings, and perhaps, even alone. A pandemic Thanksgiving – it almost sounds...
Jeremiah, the wounded prophet of Church unity
The experience of the Old Testament figure Jeremiah with God and his people makes this prophet a fitting model for unity in a divided world. Much like the world we live in today, Jeremiah’s time was one of extreme uncertainty,...
Bursting the Tower of Bubble
We, as Catholics, are called to unity. This was Christ’s prayer on the eve of his death, that we may all be one (Jn 17:21), as he and the Father are one. Sadly, we’ve been doing a lousy job of...
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