Tuesday January 18

Tuesday of 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

A CELEBRATION FOR UNITY WEEK – Between January 18 and 25

We Have Divided Christ

 

Note. There are many readings to choose from in the section in the Lection­ary For the Unity of Christians among the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions. Local Ordinaries may allow the Mass for Unity to be celebrated on a Sunday that falls in the Unity Week, January 18-25.

 

Greeting

The Lord Jesus Christ, whose name we bear,

has called us together as his body,

that we should be the visible sign of the unity

to which he calls all Christians

and eventually all peoples and nations.

May we become this sign

and may the Lord Jesus be always with you. R/  And also with you. (or:)

 

Introduction by the Celebrant

It is a shame that Christianity is so much divided into churches and sects all claiming Christ as their Savior. This becomes very evident when, for example in one town, sometimes along the same central town plaza, there are churches of several different Christian denominations. Their leaders and people are often not on speaking terms with one another, call one another heretics or schismatics, and doubt whether the Lord will save those belonging to the other churches. How confusing all this must look to people who are honestly seeking Christ! Which Christ? May Jesus’ prayer help us to make his wish become a reality, “that all may be one.”

 

Penitential Act

Let us honestly ask ourselves before God and one another

whether we are willing to lay aside our prejudices and pride,

so that we can grow toward unity in Christ.

(pause)

Lord, you came to save all

and welcomed all with infinite respect.

We repel others by our prejudices,

our attitudes of superiority

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

 

Jesus Christ, you prayed that all might be one.

But we are divided and polarized.

We do not show your true face:

Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

 

Lord, you came to unite all by your Spirit of love and truth.

But we claim exclusive rights on the truth and your Spirit:

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

 

Have mercy on us, Lord,

forgive us our division and pride

and gather us into your one body

to lead us all to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

 

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to the one Father of all

that we may all be one in his Son.

(pause)

God, Lord and Father of all,

your word is Good News of unity and peace.

But how can we honestly proclaim a message of unity

if we ourselves are divided?

Help us understand and welcome one another,

bring together what we have scattered,

make us one heart and one mind

to build together your future and your kingdom

of dignity, justice and truth

in the one Spirit of him who is your Son and our brother,

Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

First Reading • Ez 37:15-19, 21-22, 26-28:1

Bring My People Together From Everywhere

Through the prophet God promises to make his people again one people and to bring all together from the places where they were scattered. This is God’s wish also for the new People of God.

 

 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:As for you, son of man, take one stick and write on it, “Judah and those Israelites associated with it.” Then take another stick and write on it: “Joseph, Ephraim’s stick, and the whole house of Israel associated with it.”Join the two sticks together so they become one stick in your hand.When your people ask you, “Will you not tell us what you mean by all this?”

answer them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the stick of Joseph, now in Ephraim’s hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with it, and join to it the stick of Judah, making them one stick; they shall become one in my hand.Say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will soon take the Israelites from among the nations to which they have gone and gather them from all around to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one king for them all. They shall never again be two nations, never again be divided into two kingdoms. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will multiply them and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations shall know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy, by putting my sanctuary among them forever.

 

Second Reading • 1 Cor 1:10—13:

Has Christ Been Divided?

St. Paul voices his indignation that the Christians of Corinth are divided and tearing the community apart by following different leaders instead of the one Christ.

 

10 I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.11For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.12I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 

Gospel • Jn 17:20-26:

May The Disciples Be One Like The Father And Jesus

Jesus prays to the Father for the disciples. He has formed them for their task. May they now remain one, as Jesus is with the Father.

 

“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.26I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

 

Intercessions

Let us pray today to God our Father that all Christians may be one in Christ and that all may accept his Good News. Let us say: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

For leaders of all the Churches, for the pope and for all bishops, for the patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, for the leaders of the Churches of the Reformation, let us pray: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

For the World Council of Churches, for the Secretariat of Christian Unity, for all ecumenical groups, that our common search for unity may be suc­cessful, let us pray: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

For Christian theologians, for priests and ministers, for the members of diocesan councils, let us pray: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

For all Christians, for tolerance and mutual understanding among them, for cooperation among all in witnessing to Christ and in the task of promoting justice, love, and peace, let us pray: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

For this and all other Christian communities, that we may not exclude anyone from our concern but attract whoever is searching for God by tak­ing Christ’s Good News seriously and with God’s help making it the norm of our life, let us pray: R/ Father, unite us in your Son.

Lord our God, make our minds and hearts as wide as the sands of the sea and our faith open to the whole wide world. Let your word come alive in us as a mes­sage of Good News for all. Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

Prayer Over the Gifts

Lord, our one God and Father,

gather us together as the grains of wheat

were made one in this bread

and as many grapes made this one wine.

May we celebrate without division

this feast meal of Jesus your Son,

as we sit at his one table as brothers and sisters.

May his invitation to join

also reach those still separated from us.

We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/Amen.

 

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

With Jesus we offer this Eucharist and pray that one day all may sit at the table of the Lord and as they encounter Jesus that they may also find us as broth­ers and sisters.

 

Invitation to the Our Father

As we prepare to eat the Body of Christ

to become more truly his one body,

let the Spirit of unity cry out in our hearts.

 

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from all division

and grant us the peace of unity.

Set us free from all our squabbles,

our intolerance and polarization.

Make our hearts spacious enough

to dialogue on the basis of the good news

of the word and person of your Son,

that we may reveal to the world the true face

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…

 

Invitation to Communion

Because there is one bread,

we, though many, are one body,

for we all share in the one loaf

and the one cup.

Happy are we to be invited to the table

of the one Lord and Savior of all. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord God, Father of all,

we thank you for renewing your promise

to bring together your scattered people.

Through the word and the body of Jesus

strengthen us in the conviction

that we are not called to dominate and divide

but to serve and unite.

Let us be signs of your unifying love

until we all become one in your kingdom.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

Blessing

This celebration has been an experience and a message

of respect, understanding, and openness

to one another and to God.

May this dream come true,

for it is the dream of God for us.

May God bless you for this task,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

 

Let us go with one another,

God’s way of love and peace. R/ Thanks be to God.

 

Commentary

Spiritual Binocular Vision

Neuropsychology will tell you that one of the key ingredients for depth perception (perception of reality before us in its three dimensions and distance) is the capacity for binocular vision, the ability to see with both the eyes. The Pharisees in today’s story have only monocular vision in the spiritual sense—a flat (and lifeless) vision of people around, which sees only their external actions in terms of law. Thus, they can only see the disciples breaking the Sabbath law. However, Jesus has binocular vision and more—he sees the actions, the needs, the intentions, and much more. His depth perception reaches into the innermost chambers of human hearts. The same unfolds in the story of selection of David: God sees in him much more than Samuel could see. It is good to examine periodically how good our spiritual depth perception is.

 

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF