Mission prayer intention of the Holy Father for the Month of January 2010

(January 2, 2010) Before we proceed further here is the Mission Intention of the Holy Father for the Month of January: That every believer in Christ may understand that unity among all Christians is necessary for effective proclamation of the gospel. During the month of January the Pope often asks us to pray for Christian unity. When we do so, we Catholics are joining with other Christians in celebrating an annual octave from January 18 to 25 for unity among Christians. The tradition is more than 100 years old. This year the theme is “You are Witnesses of These Things.” These are the words of Jesus to his disciples before his Ascension to his Father in Heaven. This month the Pope emphasizes that Christian unity is essential for the proclamation of the gospel. Disunity among Christians undermines the credibility of our witness to the world. In reality we cannot preach reconciliation through Christ if we who are baptized oppose one another. Our message of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism cannot abide the scandal of our divisions. Our divisions generally originated in doctrinal differences, but they are often perpetuated by prejudice, ignorance, fear, and other attitudes which should have no part in a Christian’s life. These are things we can change, but we cannot abandon true doctrine. Urging Christians to unite, Pope Benedict reminds us of St. Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians, to “hold fast to the traditions you were taught”. He invites all Christians to seek communion with the Church in every age. He calls all to embrace the objective truth that relies neither on subjective experience nor empirical science, but is founded on the “teaching which indeed underlies the inspired word of God and sustains the sacramental life of Christians today.” Let us join the Holy Father in praying that we will all obey the Spirit which calls us to be one in the Lord.