Saturday, 3/28/15
Our reading from Ezekiel dates from a century when the descendents of
Jacob were split into two scattered kingdoms. Speaking for God, Ezekiel said,
“I will make them one nation.”
And, “I will gather them from all sides.”
When the Gospel spoke of Jesus “Gathering into one the dispersed
children of God.” It was talking not only of reuniting all Israelites, it is
speaking of bringing together all of God’s people.
In line with that, the last document of Vatican II asserts that we have
a “deep feeling of solidarity with the whole human race.”
Vatican II’s Constitution on the Church assert, “Many elements that
constitute the Catholic Church are found outside its visible limits.”
Our “Decree on Religious Freedom” declares that every person has a
right to religious freedom, and should be free from coercion to change.
At the time of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther had a sidekick
named Phillip Melanchthon who drew up his summary of Christian beliefs in what
was called, “The Augsburg Confession.” He might have come to some wrong
conclusions, but he gave himself so completely to deep thought and to honest
prayer that we should consider him a saint.
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