Entering the Conversation: Protestant Reflections from Catholic Country

When a Protestant Young Life staffer finds himself right smack in the middle of Catholic country, lots of interesting things can happen.  I'm pleased to introduce Brad Sytsma, a seasoned area director ministering in and around one of our nation's greatest Catholic universities.  I pray your heart will be encouraged as you read his reflections. . .

When is the last time you talked theology with a devout Catholic?  Have you ever had a conversation with someone who left their Protestant church for the Catholic Church?  What are the “real” differences between Catholics and Protestants?  Do Catholics really believe all the things we have heard they believe?  Have you ever asked why Catholics believe what they do from a biblical standpoint?

About a year ago, my wife and three children moved to South Bend, Indiana where I am currently the Area Director for Young Life.  With the University of Notre Dame in our back yard, there are many devout Catholics in our community.   In Young Life here, we have at least six Catholic leaders.  One of my team leaders is a dynamic and faithful Catholic who is working on a Masters of Divinity degree here at Notre Dame. 

Since I have been here, I have been engaged in some amazing conversations with a couple of people who have converted to Catholicism from a Protestant past.  I’ve also spoken with devout Catholics who love Jesus and have a thriving relationship with him.  On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of conversations with Catholics and Protestants alike who are not engaged in the “faith” conversation.

In my work in Young Life and in my daily life as a Christian I’ve discovered several things:

1) We have a lot to learn about each other (Protestants and Catholics) and we need each other 

2) There is a rich theology in Catholicism that we are missing as Protestants

3) Protestants need to stop protesting and start uniting with our Catholic brothers and sisters for the sake of the Gospel (take a look at 1 Corinthians 1:10-2:5)

Obviously, I’m just scratching the surface here and trying to wet the Protestant whistle.  There is so much to discuss.  The question remains: Are you willing to enter the conversation?

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

1 Corinthians 1:10

Brad suggests reading:

How to go from being a Good Evangelical to a Committed Catholic in 95 Difficult Steps by Christian Smith

If Protestantism is True by Devin Rose

Brad and his wife Amy tailgating at a ND football game

"Luther's Unfinished Reformation": What Protestants (and Catholics) Should Know about Vatican II

This year, 2012, marks the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, otherwise known as Vatican II.  While most Catholics are intimately familiar with this groundbreaking event (as it radically changed the way Catholics worship), many Protestants are left wondering, “What is this Vatican II that I’m always hearing about?  And why does it matter to me?” 

When Pope John XXIII called the council only ninety days into his pontificate, nobody could anticipate the colossal legacy of renewal and reform that would be inaugurated by the Second Vatican Council.  The son of Italian peasants, the lovable Pope John was famously asked why he called the council.  It is reported that “Good Pope John” opened a window and said, “I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in.”

This symbolic act would characterize the great aggiornamento (or “updating”) that the Catholic Church would welcome as a product of the four-year deliberations of Vatican II between 1962 and 1965.  In the four hundred years since the beginning of the Reformation, the Catholic Church’s posture to both Protestants and the modern world at large was primarily closed, defensive and triumphalistic.  As the humble servant of the servants of God, Pope John XXIII effectively flung open the arms of the Church to embrace and illuminate the world as the “city on a hill” Christ called her to be.[1]

What is an “ecumenical council” anyway?

To provide a little background, Vatican II was the 21^st ecumenical council of the Catholic Church.  These historical councils have been called throughout the history of the church to settle theological disputes, define Christian doctrine and promote the effective promulgation of the gospel throughout the known world (the word ecumenical comes from the Greek word oikoumene which means “the inhabited world”). 

Interestingly, the precedent for ecumenical councils comes from the Bible.  More specifically their model draws from the fifteenth chapter of Acts of the Apostles where Peter, Paul, Barnabas and a whole host of elders and apostles proclaimed the true gospel at the Council of Jerusalem.[2]  Here the early church, as a forerunner to the twenty-one ecumenical councils that would follow to date, gathered to challenge unorthodox teaching (in this case the obligation to follow Mosaic law as Christians) and to proclaim that “we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved.”[3] 

These biblically based councils have been convened throughout history to adjudicate some of the most intense disputes and define some of the most critical formulations of Christian theology.  The first official ecumenical council, the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), condemned Arianism, which had denied that Jesus was fully God.  The Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.) repudiated Pelagius and his contention that humanity could overcome sin without God’s help.  At the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.) the Nestorian heresy was finally condemned.  These ecumenical councils, particularly the first seven, are accepted by both Protestants and Catholics as the authoritative debates which established the essential doctrinal backbone for Christianity.

Vatican II & the Reformation

Avery Dulles, American theologian, Jesuit scholar and Cardinal of the Catholic Church, described Vatican II as “Luther’s Unfinished Reformation.”[4]  Of all the things that could be said about Vatican II, a crucial point of interest for those seeking unity within the body of Christ is that the Second Vatican Council can be understood as a long-awaited acknowledgment of some of Martin Luther’s concerns and an answer to his original desire to reform, not separate from, the Catholic Church.  Marquette University historical theologian Patrick Casey noted that “Luther had emphasized the Bible as more important than Aristotle, the need for a vernacular liturgy, the restoration of the role of the laity, a ministerial clergy, and better preaching – values that had sustained Protestantism throughout the centuries and values that Vatican II was now reasserting.”[5]

It would seem that Luther’s Reformation represents one chapter of an ongoing process of reform and renewal that can be witnessed in historic events like Vatican II.[6]   We, the church, are ever in need of continual reformation in the light of Christ and the restoration of unity among Christians is one of our highest callings.  We still have a road to travel before we arrive at total reunification.  It would be unwise to simply overlook those issues that still divide us.  Yet the openness, honest dialogue, and prayerful humility of the Second Vatican Council are models for us all as we hope for unity under “one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.”[7]  May we continue to open the windows of our hearts to let the fresh winds of the Holy Spirit breathe new streams of aggiornamento into the church today. 

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[1]             Mt 5:14.

[2]             Acts 15:1-35.  Some scholars also believe that the Council of Jerusalem was documented by the apostle Paul in Galatians 2:1-10.

[3]             Acts 15:11.

[4]             Patrick W. Carey, Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ: A Model Theologian, NY: Paulist Press, 2010, p.159.

[5]             Ibid.

[6]             Originally drawn from a sermon delivered by Avery Dulles entitled “Luther’s Unfinished Reformation,” this thesis was later published in the periodical Catholic Mind, issue 63 (April 1965), pp.32-35, quotation on 35.

[7]             Eph 4:5.

Evangelization: A Hot Topic for the Church Worldwide

Something epic is happening as we speak.  Many around the world don’t know it but on the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, the Church has convened, for only the 13^th time in history, a general assembly of the Synod of Bishops.  Over the next three weeks, the global gathering of bishops will discus what it sees as the most pressing issue facing the Church today.  What is it?  Evangelization.

“The Church is essentially missionary, and offers a revelation of the face of God in Jesus Christ, who assumed a human face and loved us to the end,” declared the Lineamenta, a preparatory guide or outline for the synod.  “Yet we are living in a particularly significant, historic moment of change, of tension and of a loss of equilibrium . . . The situation is requiring the Church to consider, in an entirely new way, how she proclaims the faith.” 

This is the call of the new evangelization.  This is precisely what Young Life leaders are doing when they immerse themselves into the lives of kids and come up with fresh and innovative ways to celebrate the message and Person of Jesus Christ.  Always with an eye on their audience, always reading the “signs of the times,” Young Life leaders bring a revitalizing energy to the church’s universal mission to proclaim the gospel to all peoples. 

I eagerly await the apostolic exhortation that will follow the synod and shed light on the direction the Church is taking to fulfill its evangelizing mission amidst the complex demands of a postmodern world.  Young Life leaders may be blessed to follow the dialogue as it unfolds from the Vatican.  John Allen, acclaimed American journalist and senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, is often featured on CNN and NPR.  Check out his latest update from this historic event and the global discussion on a topic near and dear to all of our hearts – evangelization.

http://ncronline.org/node/36796

Catholic and Christian: One Catholic's Journey in Young Life

I've had the great privilege of getting to know some extraordinary people in the mission of Young Life who are true bridge-builders.  Their ecumenical spirit shines through in a world rife with discord and division.  Today I'm happy to introduce a friend whose life and story embodies the vision of Jesus for the church - "that they may be one".  Marisa Avramovich is Catholic and on Young Life staff in Pasadena, CA.  I think you'll appreciate her story. . .

Growing up, I attended Mass faithfully with my family. The drive to church was always a quiet one, as my parents didn’t let us listen to the radio. We were preparing ourselves for the Sacrament. It’s a practice that I still enjoy today on our drives to church. I was enrolled in Religious Education classes and I was confirmed in 10^th grade.  One of my best memories about my experience of faith as a child and young adult was the sense of community I grew up in.  Our church was an inter-generational experience—children, youth, college students, parents, grandparents, all coming together to worship.

 My parents were active members of the Church and they were heavily involved with Young Life in Riverside, CA.  My first memory of hearing about Young Life was as a child. My mom was taking some of my cousins, and I couldn’t go! Once I was old enough, I got to experience Wyldlife, Young Life clubs and camping. The summer between my junior and senior year, I served on work crew at Trail West in Colorado. The experience of serving others changed my life.  The connection of what I understood faith to be in my head from my catechism & experiences growing up, and how to live it out clicked. My faith was compelling me to do something bigger than myself—to live my life in service to others.

In college my Catholic faith was challenged and questioned for the first time.  When I told new friends that I was Catholic, I was met with, “Oh, so you’re not saved” or “So, you’re not Christian?” I didn’t understand why people were questioning if I was a Christian - I loved Jesus and loved going to church. I felt hurt, misunderstood and had more than a handful of tearful conversations with my parents. These encounters led me to learn more about Catholic theology & doctrine so that when I heard those responses, I could engage from an informed place. The more I learned, the more I wanted to correct the misinformation that was out there about the Catholic faith.

Today, I am on staff with Young Life in Pasadena, CA.  I’m still a practicing Catholic and I’m married to an amazing man who happens to be Protestant (and the Area Director!). We have an ecumenical marriage and we strive to live that out in our ministry. I’ve also had the great privilege of speaking to the Latino Student Staff about bridging the gap between Protestant & Catholics in Young Life.

At the end of the day, we all want young people to hear about Jesus. My hope is that we can focus on what unites us in the goal! Both the Protestant and Catholic community can work together to fulfill the great vision of Young Life - every kid, everywhere, for eternity. My life is just one example of how both communities can work together.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.” ~Colossians 2:2

Marisa, Dave and their newborn baby Katie

"The Other": Lessons for Protestants and Catholics on Forgiveness

One of the biggest obstacles to unity between any groups (be they ethnic, racial, political or religious) is the tendency to de-humanize “the other.”  We have this ugly tendency to consider the outsider, the stranger, the foreigner or the unfamiliar to be somehow less human.  This allows us, in an evil twist of logic, to justify our slander or mistreatment of those who are different from us.  The unthinkable argument used to justify slavery was the claim that people of color were not really people at all, that they were somehow sub-human.  The roots of sexism, even within the Christian tradition, date back to a time when women were considered second-class citizens and even “misbegotten men” who do not possess the image of God. 

While these errors seem so obvious and absurd to us, the Christian family is not exempt from this appalling penchant for dehumanization.   For centuries, Protestants and Catholics have been hurling insults and abuses back in forth in the name of “truth” and “righteousness.”  We trot out the worst and most sensational stories of the other as if to say, “See!  Look at how bad they are.  Can you believe they did that?!  What monsters!” 

In his twenty-five year stint as pope, John Paul II made over 100 official apologies for the wrongs committed by the Catholic Church or individual Catholics.  He apologized to Jews, to women, to the indigenous people of the Americas, to Muslims, to Galileo and to victims of the Inquisition.  Even before he was pope, John Paul II (then Karol Wojtyla) helped craft an extraordinary letter of reconciliation between Polish and German bishops following the atrocities of World War II.  After being brutally persecuted by the invading German army, the letter declared: “We forgive and ask for forgiveness.”[1]

In May of 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot four times in a failed assassination attempt.  The gunman, Mehmet Ali Ağca, was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison.  Moved by the spirit of Jesus, Pope John Paul II visited Mehmet in his cell, embracing him with grace and forgiveness.  They would develop a friendship over the years and the pontiff would frequently ask people to “pray for my brother Ağca whom I have sincerely forgiven.”  John Paul II even visited personally with Ağca’s mother and brother and in 2005 when the pope was on his deathbed, his would-be assassin sent him a letter of well being.  It would seem that relationship with “the other” carries glorious power to overcome any and every divide.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [and daughters] of God”(Mt 5:9).  The beautiful scandal of Jesus’ message was to call us beyond our “eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” mentalities and to embrace the perfection of our heavenly Father who “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good” alike (Mt 5:45b).  In language plain and simple, Jesus exhorts his followers to do the unimaginable: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”(Mt 5:44).  Such are the unmistakable marks of a Christian. 

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[1]             Pastoral Letter of the Polish Bishops to Their German Brothers, 1965.

"Let the little children come to me"

In 1873 a baby girl would be born to devout Catholic parents in the province of Normandy, France.  Little Therese Martin was faced with challenges almost immediately.  She suffered a crippling stomach disorder which eventually claimed the lives of four of her siblings.  According to her mother, Therese was like many kids - a little “high-strung” and prone to fits of tantrum.  “She rolls on the floor in despair believing all is lost.  Sometimes she is so overcomes she almost chokes.”[1]  Years later Therese would reflect on her own life, “I was far from being a perfect little girl.”[2] 

At age four she lost her mother to breast cancer, a tragedy that rocked Therese to the core.  When she was only fifteen Therese wanted nothing more than to give her life to Jesus and was admitted as a nun into a secluded Carmelite community at Lisieux.  There she lived in relative obscurity, in keeping with her desire to be “unknown,” charting a spiritual path that would inspire millions around the world despite her untimely death in 1897.  She was only 24. 

Today many Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, consider Therese of Lisieux to be one of the greatest saints of modern times.  Icons of the faith like Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Jean Vanier were ardent devotees of St. Theresa who was to be affectionately named “The Little Flower of Jesus.”  Not because she wrote important books or held lofty positions, Therese was known for her “little way,” a childlike way of simplicity, humility and complete abandonment to God. 

She once wrote a prayer and kept it in a small container that she pinned over her heart.  The prayer simply read, “Make me resemble you, Jesus!”  Reflecting on the words of her Savior she wrote:

Leaving to great souls, to great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because 'only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet.'

Therese’ life was touched dramatically on Christmas Eve in 1886, an event she would later call her "complete conversion." "On that blessed night,” she wrote, “Jesus, who saw fit to make Himself a child out of love for me, saw fit to have me come forth from the swaddling clothes and imperfections of childhood."[3] She may have entered into adulthood that night, but she never left her child-like simplicity and all-consuming trust in Jesus. 

For me, prayer is a movement of the heart; it is a simple glance toward Heaven. . . which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. . . . I have not the courage to look through books for beautiful prayers.... I do like a child who does not know how to read; I say very simply to God what I want to say, and He always understands me.[4]

“Lord, give us the teenagers,” Jim Rayburn prayed, “each one at least long enough for a meaningful confrontation with Thee.”[5]  Though they may be simple, unpolished, rebellious and raw - bring us the teenagers who, like Teresa the “Little Flower of Jesus,” have a God who listens and understands.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mt 19:14

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[1]             Pierre Descouvemont, Therese and Lisieux, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996, 24.

[2]             Guy Gaucher, Spiritual Journey of Therese of Lisieux, London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1987, 19

[3]             Joan Monahan, Thérèse of Lisieux: Missionary of Love, Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2003, 54.

[4]             Clarke, John O.C.D. trans. The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 3rd Edition (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1996, p. 207

[5]             Kit Sublett (editor), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO:  Morningstar Press, 2008, xx.

"Lest They Become Empty Preachers": Rayburn, the Catholic Church and the Word of God

“Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”  Thus affirmed St. Jerome, fourth century theologian and second most voluminous writer in Christian antiquity (after Augustine).  We know Jesus Christ because we have read, and reflected upon and prayed over the scriptures.  In the modern age, the Catholic Church likewise asserted at the Second Vatican Council that the study of the Bible is “the very soul of theology.”[1] 

In the mission of Young Life we follow in the footsteps of our founder, Jim Rayburn, who considered it the greatest job in the world “to thumb the pages of the New Testament, which was written to make Jesus Christ known, and to do it in the presence of a group of people who are listening, who know you care about them.”[2]  Rayburn loved the scriptures.  His diaries are littered with biblical references which inspired the winsome ways he was able to speak to teenagers about Jesus.  His spirited preaching issued forth from the fount of deep, personal intimacy he had with his Savior through the sacred pages of God’s Word.

The Catholic Church promotes a constant and diligent study of the scriptures, particularly those who are engaged in ministry.  Borrowing from the words of St. Augustine, the Council exhorted, “For it must not happen that any of them become ‘empty preachers of the word of God to others, not being hearers of the word in their own hearts.’”[3]  This phrase, “lest they become empty preachers of the word, not being hearers of the word in their own hearts,” is one worth pondering again and again.  Rayburn was fond of proclaiming Christ as the “strongest, grandest, most attractive personality ever to grace the earth.”[4]  But he also warned, " a careless messenger can reduce all this magnificence to the level of boredom.” 

Lectio divina is a practice of reading, reflecting and praying the scriptures that has blessed the church from its earliest days.  Its power is unleashed in the careful listening to God in the biblical texts, a practice that both Rayburn and Augustine embodied in their lives and ministries.  “Our communication with our Divine Friend needs to be a two-way street,” notes Basil Pennington, Trappist monk and retreat master.  “And if we are smart, we let God get the first word in.  For he surely has a lot more that is worth saying.”[5]

Let us go to the scriptures today and every day with an attentive ear, letting God get the first word in, being hearers of the word in our hearts.  Lest we become empty preachers, let us listen, really listen, to our God who, “in the sacred books, comes lovingly to meet his children and talk to them.”[6]

Father, this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  God our Savior desires all men and women to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved than the name of JESUS.

*For a deeper understanding about the way the Catholic Church studies and understands the Bible, see The Pontifical Biblical Commission’s The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church at  http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/pbcinter.htm

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[1]             Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), 24.

[2]             Kit Sublett (editor), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO:  Morningstar Press, 2008, xv.

[3]             Dei Verbum, 25; St. Augustine, Sermon 179: PL 38, 966.

[4]             Kit Sublett (editor), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO:  Morningstar Press, 2008, xviii.

[5]             M. Basil Pennington, Lectio Divina: Renewing the Ancient Practice of Praying the Scriptures, NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1998, xi.

[6]             Dei Verbum, 21.

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going..."

Sometimes I feel lost.  I don’t know where I’m going.  Despite all of the powerful works of God in my life, despite the unmistakable ways he has revealed himself and his great love for me, I still doubt.  I doubt that I have enough.  I doubt that I’m going to make it.  I wonder what I was thinking to trust in God so much.  I figure that I have made a mistake in judgment somewhere.  I, too, can slip into despair.

St. Gregory of Nyssa (4^th century bishop venerated by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestant churches) reminds me that I am not alone.  Reflecting on the life of Israel’s founding father, Gregory notes “Abraham left without knowing where he was headed – a sure sign that he was going the right way.”  As Gregory plunged headlong into the Arian controversy of the 4^th century, he was in troubled and unchartered waters.  He couldn’t see the road ahead of him.  He couldn’t anticipate the outcome.  Yet his steadfastness would defend the faith against Arian heresy and lay the Christological foundations of the Church for millennia to come.

Over 1500 years later, another great mind would enter the scene and change the course of Christian history forever.  Thomas Merton was a Catholic priest and Trappist monk whose prodigious writings offer some of the most penetrating spiritual reflections of the twentieth century, ranging from social justice to the contemplative life, from the theology of the person to the inter-religious dialogue.  Like St. Gregory, Merton’s mind was lucid and unrivaled.  Yet he too, this man of towering intellect and profound spiritual depth, often found himself lost and in desperate need of the Savior. 

Today his words mean more to me than ever.  Challenged by darkness and divisions (both within and without), we all sense our deep need of God and one another as we take this journey of faith.  Ponder with me this prayer that he wrote and the connections it has to your life:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire

in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always

though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

and you will not leave me to face my perils alone.

Evangelization and Christian Unity

If you live and work in religious circles, you've probably read your share of books about evangelization.  Perhaps you've even been to a conference or two.  For some, you take this word to mean sharing your faith or your "spiritual story" with others.  For others, you might understand evangelization in its broader context, the dynamic and correlational interplay between revelation and culture, between gospel and the world.

What probably hasn't made the latest "top ten" list for evangelization, one we certainly might not expect, has to do with another word we should be familiar with - ecumenism.  Drawn originally from the Greek word oikoumene which means "the whole inhabited world", Christian ecumenism seeks and promotes unity among the world's Christian churches.  One of Jesus' final prayers is powerfully ecumenical, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have love me" (Jn 17:23).  Here Jesus presents Christian unity as a central concern of God's heart, "that all of them may be one" just as Jesus is one with the Father.

Yet what is equally compelling about Jesus' prayer is that evangelization is intimately related to the unity of the Body of Christ.  The missional upshot of Christian unity is that the world may believe in the essential message of the church, that in Christ Jesus we find salvation and eternal life.  Jesus does not pray that we hone our testimonies or sharpen our preaching (as important as those things are).  Of all the things that Jesus could have prayed about in his final hours he chose to exhort the budding church to overcome their differences, forgive their trespasses, and live in unity with one another.  This will let the world know that Jesus is truly the Son of God, sent by the Father to proclaim the loving message of the kingdom.

What does this mean for the mission of Young Life today?  What does it mean for our efforts to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith?  It means that faithful obedience to the Great Commission assumes that we "go and make disciples of all nations" as one body and in one Spirit.  The Apostle Paul calls us to "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:5).  In his first letter to the Corinthians, he proclaims famously that "though all its parts are many, they form one body" (1 Cor 12:12).  In other words, our commitment to evangelization must be grounded in our commitment to Christian unity.

The Catholic Church understands ecumenism as one of its most precious callings.  "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council" (Decree on Ecumenism, 1).  Gone are the days that Catholics and Protestants question the legitimacy of one another's rightful claim as sons and daughters of God.  The Council proclaimed boldly that "all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called a Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers [and sisters] by the children of the Catholic Church" (Decree on Ecumenism, 3).

Our deepest identity, Protestants and Catholics alike, is that we are sons and daughters of God, made in God's image to reflect to the world God's saving message of love and beauty in Christ.   We are, truly, one body in Christ.  If we wish to honor the heartfelt prayers of Jesus our Lord, if we have any hope for evangelization in the world, we might start by "becoming who we are" - one body of the one Lord.  The world of adolescents and adults alike will know that Jesus is among us when they witness Protestants and Catholics, Evangelicals and Anglicans, conservatives and progressives, united in faith, hope and love to the glory of God the Father.