Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025

To appreciate this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2025, see the article below written by Rev. Philip Halikias published in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Ecumenical Trends.  -Fr. Harry

Do You Believe This?

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would
not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
John 11:17-27, New Revised Standard Version

“Do you believe this?”: four incredibly powerful words asked of Martha by Jesus. These words have been selected for this coming year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) theme not only to honor the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. These words also echo in our minds and
hearts as Christians seeking to live a life in Christ each and every day. Belief, while straightforward as it may seem in being an undeniable faith in the unseen (or even unknown, for some), is ultimately based on relationship – relationship with Christ, that is.

Christian belief is more than just honoring a distant God from afar; it was radically transformed by the in carnation of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, thus allowing us the opportunity to have a direct relationship with the eternal Father, through His only-begotten Son, being fully human and fully divine, as was confirmed in the Creed of Nicaea 1700 years ago. We will return to the theme of Nicaea later, along with what 21st century Implications are carried into our daily lives by the faith and beliefs held since the first Ecumenical Council. But first, let me take you on a little journey into how my family and I encounter ourselves, and God, through his own creation: uncoincidentally a theme for the eight days of meditation
this upcoming Week of Prayer.


For four years now, my family and I have been seeking opportunities and locations to explore nature every chance we have. This pleasant bonding experience was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that has permanently changed the human experience. Trepidation, fear, nerves, uncertainty, and pain linger, but the opportunity of connecting to God through prayer, human connection, and nature remains a constant. I have always found it is relatively easy to connect to God in nature, especially when the noise from cars, planes, construction, and to some extent people is limited or null. Where do we find this? The beach, on the water, up in the mountains, deep in the woods, or in a cave, to name only a few possibilities. Traveling to my paternal homeland of Greece this summer brought all of the above into vivid clarity. It is easy to see why Christian communities, monastic and otherwise, have lived for centuries in or near one of the aforemen
tioned landscapes. Do not mistake my sentiment as denying the age-old saying: “wherever you go, there you are.” This saying implies that our emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual baggage follows us until we work through it, often in a multiplicity of ways. Nevertheless, the psychological, physical, and spiritual benefits of being in nature and connecting through relationships are truly like medicine for mind/body/soul.


For 2025, the WPCU theme was chosen by the Monastic Community of Bose in Magnano, Italy. This ecumenical and international community of men and women (primarily Catholic with some Protestants and Orthodox) has flourished nestled within the mountains and sprawling green fields. During my visit, the only noises that pierced the solitude were from the pre-service bell ringing and rumbles from a thunderstorm. However, one could appreciate their presence because the silence was expeditious to return. The community lives with the beating heart of ecumenism at its core, with faith and joy coursing through its
veins – the main artery being the Gospel. From their hospitality to their scholarship, the community of Bose provided for a document worthy of honoring such a momentous occasion such as the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea. It is clear that the words “do you believe this” fall on those with “ears to hear” at Bose.
While on the subject of hospitality, note the very different reaction from Martha to Jesus in the Gospel of John pericope for the 2025 WPCU, as opposed to the frustrated (and perhaps more relatable) Martha in Luke’s Gospel, who questions Jesus while agitated because Mary is not assisting her in serving. Let us take a look at the brief interaction in Luke’s account, after Jesus concludes his parable par excellence on mercy: the Good Samaritan (which, incidentally, anchored last year’s WPCU).

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord
answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.

(Luke 10:38-42, NRSV)

Does this mean that Martha’s efforts were in vain? Is there not something holy about serving others out of love and hospitality? Was Martha upset because she wanted to listen to Jesus instead of serving? Perhaps Martha wanted credit for serving. It could have been all the above, or none of the above. It is clear, however, that Mary made a more impactful decision. Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the better part [τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα], which will not be taken away from her.” The Greek word μερίδα (merida) is equivalent to a piece or portion, often referring to an inheritance. It seems that Jesus is reminding Martha and, by extension us,
that proximity to Him and His word is a critical component of our inheritance as His followers.


Returning to this year’s selected pericope, in order to compare Martha’s characterization in John to that in Luke, let us focus on a few aspects. 1) Martha was proactive in meeting Jesus on the road, teaching us it is important to seek Christ, not simply wait for Him to come knocking on our door! 2) Martha was outspoken in airing her grievance to Jesus, teaching us that we can be upset with God and be honest about our feelings. God can handle it! 3) Martha quickly redirected herself towards Christ, literally and spiritually. She affirmed her faith through her words and actions. Jesus acknowledged Martha and eased her pain by assuring Lazarus’s future rising. Martha took it in the eschatological sense, but Jesus surprised her with bringing the bodily resurrection to Lazarus that very day, later in the Gospel. Sometimes we may be the Martha that feels left out, taken for granted by our loved ones, unable to engage our faith or life as deeply as we wish. Other times, we may be the emboldened Martha who sought, questioned, and ultimately affirmed her faith in Christ. What steps will we take? What
portion will we choose?

Sometimes we may be the Martha that feels left out, taken for
granted by our loved ones, unable to engage our faith or life as deeply
as we wish. Other times, we may be the emboldened Martha who
sought, questioned, and ultimately affirmed her faith in Christ. What
steps will we take? What portion will we choose?

Returning to the commemoration of Nicaea, a different question may be on your mind: “why does Nicaea have any thing to do with ecumenism”? You would be reasonable in
thinking this way. The First Ecumenical Council occurred at a time when there was one church (denomination), despite the diversity in local and regional customs, language, traditions, culture, and so forth (thus the original meaning of “ecumenical,” in the sense of having representation from across the “whole world”). Nicaea solidified the primary tenets of the Christian faith into dogma. The first section of the creed completed at Nicaea was a concretization of the ancient baptismal formula, including affirmation of faith in the undivided Holy Trinity, three unique persons in one divine essence. The belief in Christ becoming incarnate to the Virgin Mary, suffering, dying, and being buried remain critical pillars of all Christian churches through the centuries of schism that followed.


Likewise, as the Creed goes on, the mutually held belief and dogma that Christ rose on the third day, ascended into Heaven, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead remains a fixed point of convergence to this day. While language has varied across denominations (especially through the interpolation of the once-bitterly-divisive filioque), this too has been resolved through many national and international dialogues. The compound word filioque (meaning “and the Son”) has ultimately given way to dialogue that has not only proven fruitful, but has helped to tear down theological and denominational walls that were fixed for centuries.

The First Ecumenical Council created a precedent for the world that faith and dogma would be upheld by the church in spite of division, heresy, geography, culture, practice, and socio-political differences. The dogma sure rounding the Holy Trinity, the natures of Christ, and the relationship between creation and the uncreated essence of the Triune God has not only survived 1700 years, but has been in the beating hearts of nearly all of the 2.3 billion Christians worldwide, not to mention the multitude that has gone before us through seventeen centuries.

The faithful of most Christian communions have been baptized in a Trinitarian formula, honoring aspects
of the doctrinal teachings that come from the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed (as it is known in the Orthodox Church since the creed was revised at the Second Ecumenical council almost sixty years later) and as well as both recognizing and honoring the humanity and divinity of Christ. The church has been blessed to have a relation ship with God through each person of the Holy Trinity – for many, most easily through the humanity of Christ. Knowing that our God was born in the flesh and bore the human experience – joy, sadness, physical pain and suffering, a hard day’s work, human relationships both positive and negative (including His mother, the disciples, the scribes, the pharisees, and all those who reviled him) – we can permanently have a personal and communal connection with God!

The First Ecumenical Council created a precedent for the world
that faith and dogma would be upheld by the church in spite
of division, heresy, geography, culture, practice, and socio-political differences.

The connection of our faith to this relationality will be expressed eloquently and poetically in the eight days of prayer and meditation in the upcoming WPCU. The communal prayer at the start of the Week of Prayer gives us the opportunity for an ecumenical encounter with our sisters and brothers in Christ, through a common aspect we all share: prayer. This is expounded upon by a week of personal prayer and reflection, giving each individual time to connect to the readings, prayers, wisdom from the Fathers of the church (East and West) as well as to taste a flavor of various Christian traditions that the writing and editing
team is blessed to represent, hoping to connect with those others to which we do not directly belong.

I am a firm believer in the fact that all Christians can be theologians, thereby understanding, actualizing, and teaching the roots of our faith and practice to others by a very simple litmus test: do you live the Gospel? Theological training – such as parochial school, Christian secondary education, seminary, or being part of a religious community – is helpful, but even among those trained in these ways, the faith and teachings are too easily boiled down to subjects to cram, memorize, and soon forget without ever being put
into action. Matters of faith and practice have to go hand in hand, or they remain incomplete.

We’ve all heard the old saying that there is no atheist in the foxhole, but how is this applicable to most Christians? While many of us have never been to, or will not go into the battle field, we face adversity to the faith and a Christian life from the moment we arise in the morning until the moment we go to
sleep. Whether it be through family or work relationships, the classroom, social media, political dissension, we have opportunities to live our faith, and so to preserve that which was up held in doctrine since Nicaea in 325 AD. We are called to bear witness – that is, a martyrdom (for the Greek word for witness
is martys/martyros) that requires not a physical wounding or death, but rather a spiritual death to our old being, thus becoming more alive in Christ (as most of our baptismal services call to mind). We are called to carry our cross, help those in need, care for the sick, the suffering, the captives, work towards our and our sisters’ and brothers’ salvation, and ultimately be found worthy to be called His children.

No one, not even Christ Himself, said that a Christian life would be easy. However, through His life, sacrifice,
resurrection, ascension, and opening of salvation for all to attain, a life in Him is all we could hope for, and more. Let us remember the efforts, the sacrifices, the desire for unity of faith for which our forebears worked tirelessly – both to preserve the doctrinal/dogmatic teachings of Nicaea, and to carry the torch forward into the future. To conclude, I want to leave you with the prayer/petition that precedes the
recitation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed at every Orthodox Divine Liturgy:

“Let us love one another, so that with oneness of mind we may confess.”

Let us remember the efforts, the sacrifices, the desire for unity
of faith for which our forebears worked tirelessly – both to preserve
the doctrinal/dogmatic teachings of Nicaea, and to carry the torch
forward into the future.

Ecumenical Trends
EDITOR, Dr. Aaron Hollander n ASSOCIATE EDITOR, Rev. James Loughran, SA n BOOK REVIEW EDITOR, Dr. Jakob Rinderknecht n ASSISTANT TO THE EDITORS, Ms. Elisabeth Costa n Ecumenical Trends, 475 Riverside Drive, Rm. 1960, New York, NY 10115 n Business and Subscription Office, Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, PO Box 333, Garrison, NY 10524-0333. Manuscripts sent to the editor should be prepared in or readable by Microsoft Word. Submit texts via e-mail to ecutrends@geii.org. Ecumenical
Trends is published six times a year (bimonthly) by Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute. Ecumenical Trends is a member of the Associated Church Press and the Catholic Media Association. This periodical is indexed in the Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (CPLI), a product of the American Theological Library Association, 300 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606, USA; email tla@atla.com; website www.atla.com. Subscription Rates: Print and digital version, US Domestic $30.00 USD/1 yr; $55.00 USD/2 yrs. International $42.00 USD/1 yr.; $77.00 USD/2yrs. Digital version only: $15.00/ 1 yr. Bulk rates are available upon request. Address for Subscriptions: Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, PO Box 333, Garrison, NY 10524-0333 (ISSN 0360 9073). Periodicals postage paid at Garrison, NY 10524 and additional mailing offices. Website: www.geii.org

Fr. George McLean, OMI, Evangelizer and Dialoguer

We are grateful to Fr. Charles Hurkes, OMI, for forwarding the 64 Letters of Condolences from Dr. Hu Yeping. Click here for a slightly edited version, where the many cc e-mails have been deleted. A personal remembrance of Fr. McLean: after his year of study in Cairo, Egypt, concerning Islamic Religious Thought (1991), he wrangled an invitation to address the Mullahs (scholars of Islamic Religion) in the holy city of Qom, Iran. He was the first non-Islamic scholar, and the first Christian, to do so. He entered the lecture hall with some fear, and immediately sensed the hostility of the Mullahs.

Fr. George McLean, OMI
Oblate of Mary, with a passport to heaven

He related to a group of us when the Oblate Center for Mission Studies, Washington, DC (1994-1999) and his Center for Research in Values and Philosophy (see 8th item below) were working closely together, that all of a sudden, an expression from our Oblate spirituality came to mind: to be an Oblate of Mary Immaculate is to have “a passport to heaven.” He remembered that this is also a revered Islamic expression.

So he introduced himself as an “Oblate of Mary, with a passport to heaven,” and the Mullahs expressions all changed from one of hostility to welcome. This was one of Fr. McLean’s many gifts, to take an expression from one religion and adapt it to another, showing the unity of values.


For more on Fr. George McLean and the Center for Research in Values and Philosophy, click these links:

Understanding the Signs of Our Times

Fr. George McLean, OMI Bio

Five Ways – Jun 25

June 30, 2025

As we end the month of June, with its devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and begin the month of July, with its devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, both reminding us of the joy we have because of the love of Jesus, let us look at several insights from children.  May these insights deepen our joy.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada.  Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.  David was a Hebrew king who was skilled at playing the liar.  He fought the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in biblical times.  Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. (Many thanks to Fr. Gilmond Boucher, O.M.I., Father Gloat Gleanings).

As we learn more about Pope Leo XIV’s background, it is significant that he became good friends with a Lutheran pastor and his wife.  When seminarian Robert Prevost was undergoing training in Clinical Pastor Experience (CPE) during the summer of 1980, he was sent from Chicago to St. Paul, MN, where he became close friends with a Lutheran seminarian, John Snider.  When Snider married, Robert’s friendship included her.  Almost every time he returned to the USA from Peru, he would visit the Snider’s and deepen their relationship.

So it is no surprise that at his inauguration as Pope Leo XIV, he told those attending:  “As bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the reestablishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

He also explained, “Aware moreover, that synodality and ecumenism are closely linked, I would like to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis’ commitment to promoting the synodal nature of the Catholic Church and developing new and concrete forms for an ever stronger synodality in ecumenical relations.”

May  summertime be a grace-filled opportunity for us to grow closer to our Christian brothers and sisters, for the sake of better evangelization.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Harry


Five Ways – May 25

May 26, 2025

Many thanks to those who responded to the April 30 Five Ways. It was the most ever.

First, a children’s story about Easter. The nun teaching catechism to the fourth graders wanted to impress on them the centrality of Jesus’ Resurrection. So in every class, she stressed how Jesus came out of the tomb. On the final day of class, she gave an oral exam of one question. “What is the most important day in our faith?”
Silence. Finally, one boy raised his hand and said “When we shoot off the firecrackers.” She sadly replied, “No, that’s the Fourth of July.” A girl raised her hand and said “When we eat turkey.” She sadly replied “No, that’s Thanksgiving.” Finally another boy said “It’s when Jesus comes out of the tomb.” She was about to congratulate him when he added “But if he sees his shadow, he goes back in.”

Let us laugh, but also remember that it takes a lifetime to figure out the meaning in our own lives of Jesus’ resurrection.

Secondly, please search on the internet for the remarkable story about Pope Leo breaking all Vatican protocol, for the Swiss Guard Elias Mader. Three days into his papacy, on May 11, the pope noticed one of the Swiss Guards very distraught. He questioned the Guard and discovered that his twelve year old daughter Sophia had gone missing the night before. He also remembered that this guard had worked in Peru during the terrible earthquake of 2010 as a young Swiss Red Cross volunteer, side by side with him for several weeks when he was a missionary priest in Peru.

Pope Leo immediately broke all Vatican protocol, delaying meetings and organizing all the searching units possible. On the first two days, there were several false leads. Then on the third day as a prayer service for her was being held in St. Peter’s Basilica, a man came in with Sophia, explaining he had seen her walking alone by a Roman monument and recognized her from the description on social media. Then he vanished.

Vatican officials were stunned by two facts. First, that the pope recognized the man after fifteen years. And more importantly, that the pope had put the man and his daughter and their need ahead of everything else, so early in his papacy. The item is 27 minutes long and well worth our reading.

As we look forward to Pentecost on June 8, may the Holy Spirit continue to keep Pope Leo safe and inspired.

In God’s love,

Fr. Harry


I wanted to follow up on the incredible story we referred to in May (above) about Pope Leo helping the Swiss Guard, Elias Mader, find his missing daughter —a beautiful and moving story. The image of a pope putting aside all Vatican protocol to help someone in distress is powerful and speaks to the kind of compassion and leadership we all wish to see in the world.

We did some research because we were curious to learn more. From what we can tell, this story seems to have originated from a creative video circulating online, likely meant to inspire rather than recount an actual event.

I don’t think it makes the message any less meaningful. Stories like this capture something essential about empathy, courage, and prioritizing people over bureaucracy. Whether it’s factual or not, the takeaway is still beautiful.

Five Ways – Apr 25 (2)

Apr 30, 2025

Many thanks to those who commented on the April 23 Five Ways.

With the papal elections so near, let us look at two Philippine Cardinals and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The leading cardinal from Asia for becoming the next pope, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, lived from 1987-91 at Oblate College, Washington, DC, while he was obtaining his doctorate in theology at the Catholic University of America.  Although he does not belong to any religious order, he has worked closely with the many Oblates in the Philippines.  His doctoral director, Father Joseph Komonchak, has described him as brilliant and holy. 

He knows very well the old saying “He who enters the conclave as pope comes out cardinal.”

Another Philippine Cardinal, Orlando Quevedo, is the only current Oblate cardinal.  He is 86 years old, too old to vote in the conclave.  He studied theology at Oblate College, Washington, DC, from 1960-64. Click here for his poignant remembrance of Pope Francis “Cardinal Quevedo’s Heartfelt Tribute to Pope Francis.”

The conclave will start on Wednesday, May 7,  after the last of the 9 Masses for Pope Francis, on Sunday, May 4. It is unlikely that our next pope will be elected on the first ballot, but entirely possible on May 8, when there will be two ballots before noon, and two during the afternoon. One of the new pope’s first decisions will be whether his living quarters will be in the Vatican Palace, where all his predecessors lived during the past 100 years except Pope Francis, or move into the simpler Casa Santa Marta, as Pope Francis did.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals to elect the best possible pope, to succeed Pope Francis. 

In Christ’s love,

Father Harry Winter, O.M.I. 

Growth and Renewal: Oblate Renewal Group Expands

An Oblate-led fellowship quietly reaches 100 members, uniting Christians across traditions through prayer, reflection, and shared mission.

From OMI World, 3 April 2025

The Five Ways Fellowship, a renewal group rooted in evangelization, ecumenism, and dialogue, recently welcomed its 100th member. With members spread across the USA, the Fellowship is helping rebuild Christianity from the bottom up.

from left to right …. Cheryl Floyd, Anne Girard, Janet Lucey, Carol D’agosta, Laurie Kasprzyk, and Fr. Harry Winter

The Fellowship identifies five distinct ways of living the Christian faith—Catholic, evangelical/charismatic, reformed/Vatican II, fundamentalist, and liberal—all of which are present in today’s Church. Nearly all members report that one aligns strongly with their convictions, another feels secondary, and one they find hard to embrace. There are no dues or meetings. The only requirement is to receive a monthly e-letter for prayer and, when possible, action. Feedback is welcome and often enriches the shared reflections.

The group draws inspiration from Madeleine Delbrel, a French Catholic laywoman compared to Dorothy Day. Fr. Louie LOUGEN, former Superior General, recently shared Pope Francis’ praise of Delbrel. Around the same time, a member in Georgetown, MA, helped edit Madeleine Delbrel: A Life Beyond Boundaries by Charles F. Mann.

Fr. Jim Brobst, regional councilor, responded to the November e-letter: “Thanks for getting the article about Madeleine Delbrel posted; I was not aware of her before—a great example for Oblates.” One member in St. Paul, MN was inspired by Delbrel to found a sewing initiative for Somali women. Her husband supports the ministry, which serves Muslim women adjusting to life in the U.S. Another member wrote after the February e-letter, “I will pray for Father Rolheiser. His attitude seems so positive.” His weekly columns are often featured in the e-letters. The superior of the Poor Clares in North Andover, MA recently praised his January 27 column, noting, “We have many of his books and find them very helpful.”

A married couple in Buffalo, NY regularly contributes comments and questions. Each e-letter includes updates from the Mission-Unity-Dialogue website: www.harrywinter.org, and often opens with joyful anecdotes from children—gathered from the Joyful Noise-letter and Fr. Gilmond Boucher’s writings.

Colleen Dulle of America magazine recently reflected on Delbrel’s words during her own crisis of faith: “Unless you take this little book of the Gospel in your hand with the determination of a person who is holding onto his very last hope, you will neither be able to figure it out nor receive its message.” That fierce trust in the Gospel helped her—and helps many—find hope in barren times.
Back issues of the e-letter, dating back to April 2015, are available on the website under the “Five Ways” tab.

Five Ways – Apr 25

Apr 23, 2025

As Roman Catholics mourn Pope Francis, we remember how Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised him. They met three times, and on the pope’s death, Putin said that in Russia, the closer one dies to Easter, the more blessed that person is.

We also remember the pope’s sense of joy and humor. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres has a you tube presentation on this, available on the website Mission-Unity-Dialogue, http://www.harrywinter.org, Christian Joy page, scrolling down to Previous Christian Joy, then to her you tube. Or go directly to you tube, making sure you watch the video through the reference to alligators.
Pope Francis was actively pushing for a common date for Easter for both Eastern and Western Christians. The problem seems to be choosing the date: either the third Sunday of April every year, or a date on the lunar calendar.

My thanks to Father Seamus Finn, O.M.I. for sending the attachment below. In the March 25 Five Ways, we presented his attachment on the more recent Nicea effort. This one gives more of the background as all our Churches search for a Creation Time.

Many thanks to all who commented on the March Five Ways. May the 50 days of Easter time bring us all closer to Christ, and help us find a worthy successor to Pope Francis.

In His Love,

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.


Five Ways – Mar 25

March 05, 2025

First, Children’s Joy, especially for Lent: A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, “Mom, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.” The mother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. “That’s interesting,” she said. “How do you make babies?” “It’s simple,” replied her daughter. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”

It was Palm Sunday, and because of a sore throat, five-year-old Johnny stayed home from church with a sitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm branches. The boy asked what they were for. “People held them over their heads as Jesus walked by.” “Wouldn’t you know it,” the boy fumed. “The one Sunday I don’t go, He showed up!”

After Mass, a little boy told the pastor, “When I grow up, I’m going to give you some money.” “Well, thank you,” the pastor said. “But why?” “Because my Daddy says you’re the poorest preacher we’ve ever had.” from Fr. Gilmond Boucher, O.M.I.

My thanks to Father Seamus Finn, O.M.I., for the attachment below about the May 2-5th Assisi Conference, especially that this is the 1700th anniversary of our Nicean-Constantinople Creed, which we profess on Sundays. Also this year is one of the years when both our Latin Church and the Eastern Churches observe Easter on the same Sunday. Pope Francis has offered to work for this to be the rule every year.

Many thanks to those who commented on the February 25, 2025 e-letter. May this year’s Holy Week bring us all closer in the love of our crucified and risen Savior.

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.

Five Ways – Feb 25

February 21, 2025

Many thanks to those who commented on the January 28, 2025 Five Ways. For Christian Joy, consider these two insights by kids, from the Joyful Noiseletter of Jan.-Feb. 2024: 1) A little girl asked her grandpa: “Grandpa, did God make you?” The grandfather replied: “Yes, God made me.” ” Did God make me, too?” she asked. “Yes, He did,” her grandpa answered. The little girl went to a mirror and studied her reflection for a few minutes, then looked closely at her grandfather. “You know, Grandpa,” she said, “God’s doing a lot better job lately.” 2) A little boy in New York recited the Lord’s Prayer as follows: “…and lead us not into Penn Station.”

The Oblate who lives with Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I., Fr. Daniel Renaud, O.M.I., posted on his Facebook the following by Fr. Ron regarding his recurrence of cancer.

Many of you know that I was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. After treatments which included chemotherapy and several surgeries, the last in 2023, I have continued to be healthy. I have appointments every six months at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to review my health. Parcelling out your life in six-month chunks is not a bad way to live – it has me appreciating life, others, health, nature, the simple joys of life, and my work like never before.
At the beginning of this week, I spent two days at appointments at MD Anderson. The news is mixed – both bad and good.

The bad news is that there are some new tumors, and they are recommending that I undergo 2-3 months of chemotherapy here in San Antonio. I have undergone this twice before and know what to expect. I will also have another surgery this summer to remove the tumors. The good news is the tumors are localized and not in any organs, that the chemotherapy is curative not palliative, and that the long term prognosis is good.

Right now, I don’t know when chemotherapy here will begin and what it will mean in terms of my schedule, i.e., having to cancel speaking engagements, retreats, though hopefully not classes. It will take a couple of weeks for this to take shape.

Thank you all for your love, friendship, prayer, and support during all this. I feel well and I am good spirits, but I appreciate the prayers. I will continue to keep you updated.

Peace
Ron Rolheiser


Consider Fr. Ron’s most important column of January 27, 2025, regarding Christian Unity as posted below.

For more than a thousand years, Christians have not experienced the joy of being one family in Christ. Although there were already tensions within the earliest Christian communities, it was not until the year 1054 that there was a formal split, in effect, to establish two formal Christian communities, the Orthodox Church in the East and the Catholic Church in the West. Then, with the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, there was another split within the Western Church and Christianity fragmented still further. Today there are hundreds of Christian denominations, many of whom, sadly, are not on friendly terms with each other.

Division and misunderstanding are understandable, inevitable, the price of being human. There are no communities without tension and so it is no great scandal that Christians sometimes cannot get along with each other. The scandal rather is that we have become comfortable, even smug, with the fact that we do not get along with each other, no longer hunger for wholeness, and no longer miss each other inside our separate churches.

In almost all our churches today there is little anxiety about those with whom we are not worshiping. For example, teaching Roman Catholic seminarians today, I sense a certain indifference to the issue of ecumenism. For many seminarians today this is not an issue of particular concern. Not to single out Catholic seminarians, this holds true for most of us in all denominations.

But this kind of indifference is inherently unchristian. Oneness was close to the heart of Jesus. He wants all his followers at the same table, as we see in this parable.

A woman has ten coins and loses one. She becomes anxious and agitated and begins to search frantically and relentlessly for the lost coin, lighting lamps, looking under tables, sweeping all the floors in her house. Eventually she finds the coin, is delirious with joy, calls together her neighbors, and throws a party whose cost no doubt far exceeded the value of the coin she had lost. (Luke 15, 8-10)

Why such anxiety and joy over losing and finding a coin whose value was probably that of a dime? Well, what’s at issue is not the value of the coin; it’s something else. In her culture, nine was not considered a whole number; ten was. Both the woman’s anxiety about losing the coin and her joy in finding it had to do with the importance of wholeness. A wholeness in her life that had been fractured and a precious set of relationships was no longer complete.

Indeed, the parable might be recast this way: A woman has ten children. With nine of them, she has a good relationship, but one of her daughters is alienated. Her nine other children come home regularly to the family table, but her alienated daughter does not. The woman cannot rest in that situation, cannot be at peace. She needs her alienated daughter to rejoin them. She tries every means to reconcile with her daughter and then one day, miracle of miracles, it works. Her daughter comes back to the family. Her family is whole again, everyone is back at the table. The woman is overjoyed, withdraws her modest savings, and throws a lavish party to celebrate that reunion.

Christian faith demands that, like that woman, we need to be anxious, dis-eased, figuratively lighting lamps, and searching for ways to make the Church whole again. Nine is not a whole number. Neither is the number of those who are normally inside our respective churches. Roman Catholicism isn’t a whole number. Protestantism isn’t a whole number. The Evangelical Churches aren’t a whole number. The Orthodox Churches aren’t a whole number. No one Christian denomination is a whole number. Together we make up a whole Christian number – and that is still not a whole faithnumber.

And so, we are meant to be anxious around these questions: Who no longer goes to church with us? Who is uncomfortable worshiping with us? How can we be comfortable when so many people are no longer at table with us?

Sadly, today, many of us are comfortable in churches that are far, far from whole. Sometimes, in our less reflective moments, we even rejoice in it: “Those others aren’t real Christians in any case! We’re better off without them, a purer, more faithful church in their absence! We’re the one true remnant!”

But this lack of solicitude for wholeness compromises our following of Jesus as well as our basic human maturity. We are mature, loving people and true followers of Jesus, only when, like Jesus, we are in tears over those “other sheep that are not of this fold”. When, like the woman who lost one of her coins, we cannot sleep until every corner of the house has been turned upside down in a frantic search for what’s been lost. We too need to solicitously search for a lost wholeness – and may not be at peace until it is found.

                                                                                    Peace,  Fr. Ron

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M. I.

Five Ways – Jan 25

January 28, 2025

First, as we end the first month of the Jubilee Year, 2025, let us remember the need for joy.  In our Old Testament reading from Nehemiah for Jan. 26, we saw that when people realize more deeply how much God loves us, we can be sad that we are so far from God’s love.  Nehemiah told the people to put aside their sadness, for “rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength” (8:10).  So we look at two more Scripture statements from kids:  St. Paul cavorted to Christianity, he preached holy acrimony which is another name for marriage.  Christians have only one spouse.  This is called monotony. (from Book 2, Fr. Gloat Gleanings, p. 61).

Secondly, as we invite other Christians, especially Protestants, to join us in our designated Jubilee Year Churches, the Vatican has warned us not to emphasize the indulgences possible. In a one-page document, “Opening the Door to St. Peter’s Basilica: A Note from the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Dec. 24, 2024,” the Vatican reminded us that excessive concern about indulgences was one reason for the Protestant Reformation.  So when we invite other Christians to the Holy Year events, let us stress pilgrimage, the joint hymns we share, and solid preaching on the Bible.

Thirdly, let us remember the concern of Pope Francis for continued work with other Christians.  I am grateful to Fr. Seamus Finn, O.M.I. for sending me Pope Francis meeting with the ecumenical delegation from Finland during the Jan. 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, attached below.

As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis receives an ecumenical delegation from Finland and recalls that Christian hope in the Lord never disappoints and that Christians are to always persevere in prayer…. Read all: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-01/pope-to-ecumenical-delegation-hope-does-not-disappoint.html

Many thanks to those who commented on the Dec. 30 Five Ways letter.  More items are available on Mission-Unity-Dialogue, http://www.harrywinter.org.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.