Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Kintore College in Toronto, on January 18, ant the start of the Octave of prayer for Christian unity.

Mark 3:7-12: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and great crowds from Galilee followed him. From Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordania and the region of Tyre and Sidon, great numbers who had heard of all he was doing came to him. And he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, to keep him from being crushed. For he had cured so many that all who were afflicted in any way were crowding forward to touch him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he warned them strongly not to make him known.

This is the account of the healing ministry of Jesus, and his universal mission to all those ailing people, physically damaged and hurting, but also afflicted by the demons, whose attacks were constant, divisive, agitated, pitting one against the other, loquacious and constantly seeking to break down the unity of Jesus’ plan.

These words are good for us today as we begin the week of Christian unity. After this healing he chose his apostles to continue this task, in unity with Christ and among each other. We too continue.

Music: 'Adrift among the infinite stars' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com

Thumbnail: Healing of the demoniac. Morgan Library Museum Medieval illustration from Strasbourg, 1430.