Collect taken from the memorial of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Collect: Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord, the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat as he laid down his life for the sheep, so that through his intercession we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit and not be afraid to lay down our life for others. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…
“Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord, the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat as he laid down his life for the sheep”
— We call to mind that Josaphat was killed for his defense of the faith. Beneath the surface of this beautiful idea of laying down one’s life is that fact that Josaphat in particular was killed by other Christians because he was trying to convert them to the Catholic Faith (they called him the “thief of souls”). Thus, we praise that Spirit which seeks the unity of Christians by bringing them into union with the Catholic Church under the Pope.
“so that through his intercession we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit and not be afraid to lay down our life for others”
— Not only do we praise the zeal that drove Josaphat, but we dare to ask for the courage to die over the difference between being Orthodox (or any other Christian) and being Catholic. Fundamental to understanding this, however, is that it is done as an act of love (watch out for pride!). Love seeks the (objective) good of the other person.
Lesson/Advice: Have you bought into a false ecumenism? Yes, we should value the common ground we share with other Christians, but the ultimate goal of ecumenism is true unity in the faith. Also, we mustrespect others’ intelligence and freedom, so even if we seek their conversion, we do not want to forceanyone into anything. Try to think of converting other Christians in terms of sharing a great “life hack” with another person. If you discover that you’ve been missing out on better way to do something (like eating Chinese take out), would you not be excited about sharing this insight with others. Just so, the Catholic Church has the fullest use of the Christian faith and can really open it up to its full potential, kind of like a #FaithHack.
Pray the prayer for Christan Unity today. Offer a sacrifice or rosary for a Christian friend who isn’t Catholic that God might bring them into the Church. It could be helpful to read this encyclical on Church Unity which also talks about the life of St. Josaphat. Perhaps you have a friend you’re close with and can talk openly with. Try inviting them for coffee and a conversation about the faith. Have an attitude of real dialogue and attentive listening, be respectful, and try to stick to using good-hearted questions. Arguing, yelling, gotcha questions, and boasting don’t help anyone, but honest, challenging questions can be helpful to both parties.
 |
| St. Josapht, pray for us! |