Listening to the Gospel, the
fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. These are the four
"foundations" of Christian unity, from which "we are still far away",
indicated by Benedict XVI to eight thousand people at the general
audience today, held during the week in which "all believers in Christ
are invited to join in prayer to witness the strong bond that exists
between them and pray for unity, "so that" his plan of salvation is
fulfilled throughout the whole world. "
During this week, the Pope said, "the impossibility of sharing
the same Eucharistic banquet is a particularly vivid regret, a sign that
we are still far from realization of the unity for which Christ prayed.
This painful experience, which gives a penitential dimension to our
prayer, must become even more generous commitment by all so that the
obstacles to full communion are removed, and the day come when we can
sit together around the table of the Lord, break together the
Eucharistic bread and drink from the same cup. "
Commenting on the theme of this week, "They devoted themselves
to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers", the Pope first defined as "providential" the fact that
"prayer is placed at the centre of the journey to build communion,
reminding us, once again, that unity can not be simply a product of
human activity, it is above all a gift from God. "
The theme of the week, in particular, "refers to the experience
of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, as is described in the
Acts of the Apostles."
First, then, "we have listening to the teaching of the
Apostles, or listening to the witness that they give to the mission,
life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It is what Paul simply
calls the Gospel".
"Even today, the community of believers recognizes in
reference to the teaching of the Apostles the law for their faith;
every effort to build unity among all Christians therefore passes
through the deepening of fidelity to the deposit of faith handed down to
us by the apostles."
"The second element is fellowship. At the time of
the first Christian community, as well as in our day, this is the most
tangible expression, especially for the outside world, of unity among
the disciples of the Lord. "
In Acts we see that "the early Christians
held all things in common, and those who owned properties and
possessions sold them to share with the needy. In the history of the
Church this sharing of substances found ever new modes of expression.
One of these, which is peculiar, is that of relations of fraternity and
friendship built between Christians of different confessions.
The
history of the ecumenical movement is marked by difficulties and
uncertainties, but is also a story of brotherhood, cooperation and human
and spiritual sharing, that has significantly changed the relationship
between believers in the Lord Jesus: we are all committed to continuing
on this path. "
The third element is "the breaking of bread, in which
the Lord Himself becomes present in the one sacrifice of the Cross."
Communion in Christ's sacrifice is the culmination of our union with God
and is therefore also the fullness of the unity of the disciples of
Christ, full communion.
Prayer, then, "has always been the constant attitude of the
disciples of Christ," since the first community. It is once again in
prayer that we are here together, especially this week, along with all
those who confess their faith in Jesus Christ. "
SIC: AN/INT'L