Opportunity of a Lifetime

The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime!   By sending Peter to Cornelius—a Gentile from Caesarea—God invited Peter to play a key role in his plan to gather the Gentiles to himself.   The centuries-long hatred between Gentile and Jew was about to be broken, and the witness of a united Church was about to shine in the world.   And Peter was the one to break through the barrier.

Peter could have balked.   He could have remained adamant in his Jewish upbringing and refused to go.   But this once-stubborn fisherman had been changed.   He was not sure exactly what would happen, but he decided to follow the Spirit’s promptings and take a chance.   And the result was amazing:  Before Peter could even finish telling Cornelius and his family about Jesus, the Holy Spirit swept over them and filled their hearts.   That’s how eager God was to inaugurate a new era of unity in his Church!

What has happened to that unity?   Today we see Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox divided from each other.   Ancient feuds, age-old misunderstandings, and political considerations all conspire to keep us divided.   Of course, there are doctrinal issues that need to be overcome.   But as every pope from John XXIII to Francis reminds us, what unites us is so much greater than what divides us.   If we could keep our eyes focused on our common heritage, if we could make it our aim to follow Jesus more closely, we would surely find a way to resolve the differences that remain.

What about a little closer to home?   How about working for unity within your parish?   Surely you can find ways to overcome divisions between progressives and traditionalists or between cradle Catholics and new converts.   Surely you can affirm all that you have in common—the Eucharist, centuries of history, a common teaching, and a spiritual tradition that is as deep as it is wide.   After all, you are all brothers and sisters in Christ!   Yes, there are different opinions and approaches, but we are still one body joined by a common Baptism.   Imagine the impact it would have on the world if each of us made love our common goal!

word among us