Appreciate Gifts of Other Christians While Sharing Truth – May 21 – Homily – Fr Jacinto

Fr Jacinto reflects on Jesus' high priestly prayer at the Last Supper, where he asks the Father that all believers may be one as the Father is in the Son. He notes that unity, along with holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity, is a defining mark of the Church from its earliest days. Yet sectarian divisions have multiplied into tens of thousands of Christian groups, creating a visible lack of unity that scandalizes the world and hinders the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. To remedy this, he urges continual prayer for Christian unity beyond the annual octave and calls for genuine ecumenical engagement: seeking common ground, collaborating in good works such as pro-life efforts and defense of marriage, and pursuing respectful dialogue that both appreciates shared gifts and addresses differences. Protestants are praised for their love of Scripture, Orthodox for their veneration of icons and Our Lady and their monastic traditions, yet all are invited to the fullness found only in the Catholic Church through the seven sacraments, the complete canon of seventy-three books, sacred Tradition, the Magisterium, and the unifying ministry of the Pope. Quoting Pope John Paul II's Ut Unum Sint, Fr Jacinto stresses that ecumenism is not an optional add-on but an organic part of the Church's life, requiring greater fidelity, gratitude for the Eucharist, and personal holiness so that the Lord's prayer for visible unity may be fulfilled in the one holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

USCCB Bible – Jesus prays for unity – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17?21
Catechism of the Catholic Church – Unity as Church mark – https://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/813.htm
Catechism of the Catholic Church – Ecumenism commitment required – https://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/820.htm
Catechism of the Catholic Church – Pope ensures visible unity – https://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/882.htm
Vatican – Ut Unum Sint encyclical – https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint.html
USCCB Bible – One body one Spirit – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/4?4
Catechism of the Catholic Church – Fullness in Catholic Church – https://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/816.htm

00:00 - Jesus' High Priestly Prayer for Unity
00:54 - The Four Marks of the Church
01:16 - The Scandal of Christian Division
02:42 - The Call to Pray for Unity
03:28 - Engaging in Ecumenical Dialogue
05:05 - Appreciating Shared Christian Values
06:33 - Sharing the Fullness of the Catholic Faith
07:47 - Ecumenism as an Organic Part of Church Life
08:33 - Striving for Holiness and Final Prayer