Saturday, August 17, 2019

prayer against the Church’s divisions


In my lectio divina this week on the Gospel for Sunday from Luke 12:49-56, I continue to ponder how to interpret the present time in light of Jesus’ strong language about bringing division. I know the Church has known many times of serious division, but we seem to be in a time when virulent division in the society is infecting and fragmenting the Church. Can this be the kind of division Jesus spoke about? Jesus seemed to suggest we should know how to interpret the present time. Yet, I have not discerned any clarity. Then, in my prayers this morning, which I start with an Epistle prayer before moving to the Psalms, I was jolted by this line from the prayer in Romans 15:5. “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus.” Can I consider that praying such a prayer against the Church’s divisions expresses interpreting the present time?

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