Adult / Couple
Pray!
Please join Christians around the world who will be praying for unity among us during the Week of Prayer for Christain Unity - January 18-25, 2017.
God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed that we may be one in Him.
Your Son, Jesus, compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church.
May we all recoginize that we are truly one with you Father, Son and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed that we may be one in Him.
Your Son, Jesus, compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church.
May we all recoginize that we are truly one with you Father, Son and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Learn!
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Begun in 1908, The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated each year in cities and towns across the country and around the world.
The theme for the 2017 observance is Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us
(2 Corinthians 5:14-20).
As we prepare to celebrate this week – January 18-25, 2017 – the Church recalls a special moment in its history 500 years ago. The Reformation changed much in the life of the Church. As scripture shows, it is important not to be limited by what happened in the past, but rather to allow the Holy Spirit to open us to a new future in which division is overcome and God’s people made whole.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has two accents: on one hand, there should be a celebration of God’s love and grace. On the other hand, it should also recognize the pain of the subsequent deep divisions which afflicted the Church, openly name the guilt, and offer an opportunity to take steps toward reconciliation.
Ultimately it was Pope Francis’ 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) which provided the theme for this year when it used the quote: “The Love of Christ Compels Us”. The love of Christ compels us beyond our prayers for unity among Christians. Congregations and churches need the gift of God’s reconciliation as a wellspring of life. But above all, they need it for their common witness to the world,
“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)
The world needs ambassadors of reconciliation, who will break down barriers, build bridges, make peace and open doors to new ways of life in the name of the one who reconciled us to God, Jesus Christ. God’s Holy Spirit leads the way on the path to reconciliation in his name.
May the wellspring of God’s gracious reconciliation overflow in this year’s Week of Prayer so that many people may find peace and that bridges may be built. May people and churches be compelled by the love of Christ to live reconciled lives and to scale the highest walls that divide!
Begun in 1908, The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated each year in cities and towns across the country and around the world.
The theme for the 2017 observance is Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us
(2 Corinthians 5:14-20).
As we prepare to celebrate this week – January 18-25, 2017 – the Church recalls a special moment in its history 500 years ago. The Reformation changed much in the life of the Church. As scripture shows, it is important not to be limited by what happened in the past, but rather to allow the Holy Spirit to open us to a new future in which division is overcome and God’s people made whole.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has two accents: on one hand, there should be a celebration of God’s love and grace. On the other hand, it should also recognize the pain of the subsequent deep divisions which afflicted the Church, openly name the guilt, and offer an opportunity to take steps toward reconciliation.
Ultimately it was Pope Francis’ 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) which provided the theme for this year when it used the quote: “The Love of Christ Compels Us”. The love of Christ compels us beyond our prayers for unity among Christians. Congregations and churches need the gift of God’s reconciliation as a wellspring of life. But above all, they need it for their common witness to the world,
“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)
The world needs ambassadors of reconciliation, who will break down barriers, build bridges, make peace and open doors to new ways of life in the name of the one who reconciled us to God, Jesus Christ. God’s Holy Spirit leads the way on the path to reconciliation in his name.
May the wellspring of God’s gracious reconciliation overflow in this year’s Week of Prayer so that many people may find peace and that bridges may be built. May people and churches be compelled by the love of Christ to live reconciled lives and to scale the highest walls that divide!
Do!
- Read how Catholics and Lutherans are working toward unity. Click on this link:www.ncronline.org/news/theology/lutherans-and-catholics-chart-path-unity
- Attend the Parish Faith Formation Gathering on either February 8, 5:30 - 8:00 or February 12, 5:00 - 7:30 to learn about Islam.
- Visit with a non-Catholic relative, neighbor, friend about the beliefes and practices of their faith tradition.
- Invite a non-Catholic to attend a weekend Liturgy with you or another Parish Activity.
- Make choices to learn and grow in your Catholic Christian faith tradition by attentive listening to the homily each week, attending parish adult learning sessions; particiapating in service opportunities and/or parish celebrations.
