Filling the void.

I've rediscovered something about my situation, and indeed the situation about the Church. It's clear that the Church is not complete without Christ, so surely the inherent disunity of the Church is the frantic search to find its completion. Perhaps the Catholic Church is united right now as I write these words, but this unity is only something that can be clearly seen from the eschatological point of view.

Are we too close to the problem to see its solution? After all, the solution won't come from us; it will come from God. Being an INTJ, I am designed to seek solutions to problems. Yet the real problem, the ultimate problem is that I am separated from Christ, just like any other Christian.

"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread."

We pray these words at Mass, so if we believe that what we receive is indeed the Body of Christ, then surely we have some degree of unity whether the altar rails of the Holy See are closed or not. The obstacle of course is the contentious issue of the validity of Anglican Orders to the Holy See, which I have discovered is no longer as clear cut as Leo XIII wanted to make it in Apostolae Curae. If the Continuum can unite sufficiently and say categorically "we believe in the Real Presence of Christ" then there is some chance that the validity issue can be re-examined.

I can't see that happening until the Continuum demonstrates that it has a presence which can be regarded as significant to the Holy See. In Britain, the Continuum is seen as a tiny fragment of "crack-pots and intransigents playing at being church on their own" despite the fact that her priests really are priests &c and that they have a message of great validity and hope.

In a few years the Apostolicity of the Church of England will be actually lost, rather than just spiritually lost when the first female puts on a mitre. What preparations is the Continuum making for this happening? What will they do to attract those who will first try to seek solace in the Holy See? What will they do to entice the disaffected from just becoming "stay at home" Christians? What will they say to those who object but nevertheless will stay within the Church of England and just spiritually moulder away?

With schism will come the void and the Church groans because it is separate from her Master. Will we try to fill the void with intellectualisms and distractions, or will we seek to cross the void on the Pontificate of Christ? Just how do we cut the cackle, roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty to beckon those for whom the pain of just living is overwhelming? What is our unity worth if the debate it generates prevents us from tackling the disorders of society? Sure, get one's house in order first, but aren't the churches starting to say the same thing to society?

We must pray St John xvii with Our Lord beside us. We have to live out John xvii. Being in the world we are divided, yet being in Christ we are united. How can we make this utterly real and apparent in this wintry world in which the flames of passion are being doused by a false reason?

Only through faith, hope and love.