The week of Prayer for Christian Unity celebrated every January is based on this passage from St. Paul. And I recall during Pope St. John Paul II pontificate, he advocated evalengization within the Catholic Church.

Carolyn, your reflection, if I understand it correctly, ties in with the above. That “we are created in the image of a communal God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, …. we are created to live and love in a community.”

I pray not only for Christian unity, but for all human beings struggling to make sense of the devastation and horror sweeping our world, even in religious countries. As Laura mentioned on Thursday: “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Problem is, good people are justifying striking out at others who don’t believe what they believe. Dr. Phil called it ‘confirmation bias’. He said you can show them irrefutable evidence to the contrary, but they won’t budge. Hmmmm!

History is repeating itself …. Jesus’ words (last paragraph in Luke) has fallen on deaf ears. I am struggling to find a prayer for these times.

How do we know who feels unloved and abandoned? Perhaps it’s the ones who act aggressively, act tough, insensitively. They are showing their deep sensitivity that somehow someone taught them is a bad thing, and they are trying to hide that part of themselves, which has negative consequences.

It could also be that we don’t know who feels unloved and abandoned. So that places the responsibility on us to show God’s love to everybody through works of mercy to everybody.

I pray for my mother-in-law, who is one of the most sensitive people I know, but acts aggressively. It took me a long time to learn that she was wounded inside and was therefore reacting to the world around her that taught her that being sensitive is a bad thing. Reflections on this site, most definitely including yours, Carolyn, helped me to understand her predicament. I have since tried to show patience and other works of mercy to her, so that she can put down her internal armour. I fall far short of the standard to which the Lord is calling me, but my efforts have proven to be fruitful. She is less aggressive than she has been. Praise the Lord!

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, and Gracious Holy Spirit, please heal her with your love, however you see fit to manifest it. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.