Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest at the Center for Action and Contemplation, explores the fruitfulness of interfaith friendship. “In no other period of history have humans had such easy and immediate access to people of other cultures and religions, often as friends. Once a person has developed any “discernment of the Spirit” it becomes clear that God ‘s holiness exists all over the place,”

He further advises that “The Second Vatican Council gave Catholics some fine official guidelines and freedoms. Nosta Aetate (In Our Time) the 1965 document on Christian religions affirms, “For all peoples comprise a single community, and have a single origin…one also is their final goal: God. (God’s) providence, manifestations of goodness, and saving designs extend to all (people),” Such an affirmation rightly places us all inside the same frame of history and allows no foundational distinction between us.  We are clearly from one God, tending toward the one God, and as the mystics of all religions teach, Reality itself is one.

It is strange that it took us almost our two-thousand year history to get back to the “ecumenical” attitude Jesus had at the very beginning! He goes out of his way to make non-Jews the heroes of many of history stories and teachings.”

Let us pray that we can live as Jesus lived and be constantly inclusive.
Contributed by Mary Ann Lause. Interested in joining the Peace and Justice Ministry?  Call or text Saralou Hendrickson at 314-440-2020.