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{"id":17732,"date":"2015-11-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=2558"},"modified":"2015-11-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-11-24T00:00:00","slug":"prayer-and-unity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2015\/11\/prayer-and-unity\/","title":{"rendered":"Prayer and Unity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<\/head>

It\u2019s significant, writes Walter Kasper (Handbook of Spiritual Ecumenism<\/a>), that \u201cJesus did not primarily express his desire for unity in a teaching or in a commandment to his disciples, but in a prayer to his Father. Unity is a gift from above, stemming from and growing toward loving communion with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.\u201d When Christian pray for unity, we share in Jesus\u2019 prayer, \u201cwho promised that any prayer in His name would be heard by the Father\u201d (10).<\/p>\n

If unity is a gift of God, Christians should \u201cpray for it together.\u201d Kasper calls prayer \u201cthe royal door of ecumenism: it leads Christians to look at the Kingdom of God and the unity of the Church in a fresh way; it deepens their bonds of communion; and it enables them to courageously face painful memories, social burdens and human weakness.\u201d This isn\u2019t theoretical: \u201cIn every age of history, the principal artisans of reconciliation and unity were persons of prayer and contemplation, inspiring divided Christians to recommit themselves to walk the path of unity\u201d (11).<\/p>\n

Prayer for unity is part of the \u201cchange of heart and holiness of life\u201d that, according to Unitatis Redintegratio<\/em>, is needed for reunion of the churches: \u201cThe way toward reconciliation and communion unfolds when Christians feel the painful wound of division in their hearts, in their minds and in their prayers.\u201d They become \u201caware of how much harm has been caused by pride and selfishness, by polemics and condemnations, by disdain and presumption.\u201d In prayer, we are awakened to \u201cserious examination of conscience\u201d and recognize our faults as we\u2019re thrown to the reconciling power of the Gospel.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"