Today we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is considered the mother church of Christianity. Today we remember that there is only one Church because "there is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all" (Eph 4:4-6).
Jesus prayed "that all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; I pray that they may be [one] in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (Jn 17:21). God's plan of salvation is "to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship" (Eph 1:10).
Unity in Christ is necessary for the fulfillment of God's plan for world evangelization. We have grown accustomed to centuries of disunity, thousands of denominations, and a debilitated Christianity. Many Christians have forgotten that Jesus is praying for His family to be one. Many have ceased even to want to be Church by God's standards. We must repent, be reconciled, and be one as the Father and Son are One.
| PRAYER: | Father, may we repent and accept the Holy Spirit of unity (Eph 4:3). |
| PROMISE: | "No one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid, namely Jesus Christ." –1 Cor 3:11 |
| PRAISE: | Father Ted's multicultural parish reflects the unity and diversity of the universal Church. Praise God for the Body of Christ! |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College