Work to heal the wound of schism; Church Fathers: Day 202

Last updated on: February 12, 2018 at 6:41 am by Pete Socks

Work to heal the wound of schism; Church Fathers: Day 202 2018-02-12T06:41:41-05:00 Pete Socks

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Christian baptisms given outside the Catholic Church are still valid baptisms, but that doesn’t mean that everything about those separated churches is valid. We should recognize the validity of their baptism, says St. Augustine, but it’s vital to heal the wound of schism.

Suppose someone is brought to the surgeon with a serious wound in some vital part of the body, and the surgeon says that unless it is cured it must be fatal. Are the friends who brought him in so foolish as to count up all his healthy limbs, point them out to the surgeon, and answer him, “Do you mean to tell me that all these healthy limbs aren’t enough to save his life, and one wounded limb is enough to kill him?”

No, they entrust their friend to the surgeon to be cured. And once they’ve done that they don’t ask the surgeon to cure the limbs that are healthy, too. But they do ask him to apply drugs as carefully as possible to the one part that threatens death to the other healthy parts as well, knowing full well that death must come unless it is healed.

What good does it do someone, then, if he has healthy faith, or perhaps only health in the sacrament of faith, when the health of his charity is destroyed by the fatal wound of schism? By the downfall of that, the other points that were healthy in themselves are brought into the infection of death.

To prevent that, the mercy of God, through the unity of his holy Church, never stops struggling, so that they may come and be healed by the medicine of reconciliation. In the health of the sacrament, because they are not against us, they are for us; but in the wound of schism, because they do not gather with Christ, they scatter abroad. –St. Augustine, On Baptism, Against the Donatists, 1.8

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

In a world with so many different kinds of Christians, what can I do to heal the wound of schism?

Is there even one person I can help find the way back to the Catholic Church?

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, it is your will that we should all come to know you in unity. Let me always struggle to hold out a hand to those who have strayed, and help me persuade them to abandon their errors.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Mike Aquilina and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.

A Year with the Church Fathers

Previous Post

February 11, 2018

Don’t blame the Church for wicked Christians; Church Fathers: Day 201

Next Post

February 12, 2018 Off the Shelf 059 with Mary Sperry - Making Room for God

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Year with Mary A Year with the Angels A Year with the Church Fathers Book News Children's Review Featured CD Giveaway Guest Post Interview Linked Review Media review Movie Review New Releases Off the Shelf Review speakers Teen Review The Clergy Speaks The Laity Speaks The Open Book Podcast Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz