The first principle of the Ordinariate is then about Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, the Church’s greatest ecumenist, literally expended his life on the work of building bridges between orthodox brethren who shared a common faith, but who had become separated from one another in a Church badly fragmented by heresy and controversy. He taught that the work of Christian unity requires deliberate and ceaseless effort...St. Basil often talked with yearning about the archaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic community, so rarely seen in the Church of his day. This love, he taught, is a visible sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and it is absolutely essential for the health of the Church.

- Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, Homily on the Occasion of his Formal Institution as Ordinary

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Matt 9:37-38)

The newly ordained priests of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter in Texas

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine
providence hast appointed various orders in thy Church:
Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are
now called to any office and ministry for thy people; and
so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them
with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before
thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of
thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth
and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.

from the Book of Divine Worship
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