NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA - DAY SIX - JULY 27, 2013 - THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE

St. Ignatius was a great believer in Unity even in diversity. This is evident from the first companions he chose. These were men from different backgrounds, different experiences and gifts, but moulded by him into one Society of Love. Like Jesus before him, Ignatius laboured long and hard for the unity that Jesus himself worked and prayed for.

Today, more than ever, we, in this great country of ours need to realize that we live in land of diverse cultures, languages and religions. We need to understand that “to be religious is to be inter religious”, and so need to shed the exclusive tag we have placed on ourselves. The prayer for unity that Jesus made to his Father in the Gospel of John continues to be our own prayer – that they may all be one, even as the Father and Son are one.

Through the intercession of St. Ignatius we pray for the grace to be aware as we do in a multicultural, multi religious country we might open our hearts to those of other faiths, and realise the working of God in their lives as well.

God of unity and communion, we pray that through the intercession of St. Ignatius who was able through your grace to unite people from different backgrounds into one Society of Love, we might be able to foster union of minds and hearts in our neighbourhoods, places of work and in this our Parish community. We ask this through Christ our Lord.