Thoughts for the Day

Thursday, 23rd January 2025: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: 6

Pope Acts 1 Church Unity Roman Catholic

Reading : Verses from Acts, Chapter 1

Cross

As they were watching Jesus he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

(New Revised Standard Version)


Thoughts

Today we look at the Catholic Church. By that we mean the Roman Catholic Church, for the word "catholic" means "universal" and is used by many other denominations in worship (see near the end of the Nicene Creed). There are roughly some 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world, whose leader is the Pope. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the following:

  • There is One God, who is known in three persons as the Trinity - God who has no beginning and has sole power of creation; the Son of God, Jesus Christ who came to earth to save humankind from their sin; and the Holy Spirit, the power of God.
  • That Mary gave birth to Jesus after being empowered by God's Spirit as a virgin. At her death she was received into heaven as the Queen of Heaven.
  • In praying to Mary, the Apostles, and the Saints (whom they do not worship) but appeal to in intercessory prayer.
  • In the Ten Commandments, and in Jesus' summary of them (Matthew 22.36-40).
  • In seven sacraments, that is visible signs of God's love at: baptism, confirmation, first Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders for ordained ministers, and marriage.
  • That the soul lives on after death, but is subject to judgement by God, including Purgatory.
  • That Christ will return in the future, at the end of time, to rescue His people.

These statements hide a lot of differences (eg that the bread and wine at the Eucharist/Mass becomes the body and blood of Jesus), but there are also many points of agreement with non-Roman catholic Christians. Perhaps we should pray a little harder for reconciliation with each other!


Prayer

Almighty God,
we pray for unity among Christian churches
around the world.
As we seek to follow Your will,
may Your presence guide and unite us
in love and purpose.
We ask for Your intervention
in overcoming barriers that separate us
and for Your grace to foster collaboration
and understanding among believers.
Help us to work together in harmony
to advance Your kingdom
and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
May our global unity reflect Your love and power,
and may we be a beacon of hope and unity
in a divided world. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

(from 'Godsverse')


Follow Up Thoughts

You might like to look at this report from the Catholic News Agency (NCA) produced this January:

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