The fatherhood and care of God who rules the universe
DAY 2, Jan 19:Lord our God, we confess together our
faith in the mystery of your perfect
unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one
and only God.
We pray for the grace to
grow in unity together as your Church.
By baptism, we profess this unity in
the gift of your Holy Spirit, born again
as your sinless children, yet we quickly
surrender to the temptation of division.
Forgive us this sin and lead us to the
miracle of being reconciled by the love
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin and division
lead to death and destruction. In Jesus,
who conquered death forever by his
supreme act of love, we are empowered
in this world to build his kingdom of
forgiveness and peace.
We pray, heavenly One, to you as our Father, that we truly believe and trust in the promise of
the Gospel, “that they all may be one.”
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our
brother and Lord, in the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen.
It is with this in mind that the guiding biblical text was chosen – John 11:17-27. The theme for the week, “Do you believe this?” (v. 26), takes its cue from the dialogue between Jesus and Martha when Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany following the death of their brother Lazarus, as narrated by the evangelist John.
At the start of the chapter, the Gospel says that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus (v. 5), yet when informed that Lazarus was gravely ill, Jesus declared that his illness would “not lead to death” but that the Son of God would be “glorified through it” (v. 4), and remained where he was for two days longer. When Jesus eventually arrived in Bethany, despite being warned of the risk of being stoned there (v. 8), Lazarus “had already been in the tomb for four days” (v. 17). Martha’s words to Jesus express her disappointment at his late arrival, perhaps containing also a note of reproach: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (v. 21). However, this exclamation is followed immediately by a profession of confidence in Jesus’ saving power: “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (v. 22). When Jesus assures her that her brother would rise again (v. 23), she responds by affirming her religious belief: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (v. 24). Jesus leads her a step further, declaring his power over life and death and revealing his identity as the Messiah. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (vv. 25-26). Following this astonishing declaration, Jesus challenges Martha with a very direct and deeply personal question: “Do you believe this?” (v. 26.)
Like Martha, the first generations of Christians could not remain indifferent or passive when the words of Jesus touched and searched their hearts. They earnestly sought to give a comprehensible answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you believe this?” The Fathers of Nicaea strove to find words that would embrace the entire mystery of the incarnation and the passion, death and resurrection of their Lord. While awaiting his return, Christians around the world are called to witness together to this faith in the resurrection, which is for them the source of hope and joy, to be shared with all peoples.
Each year, Christians around the world joyfully recall the prayer of Jesus in the
Gospel of John, 17:21, “That they all may be one.” This prayer bears witness to the communion of the Blessed Trinity within the Godhead as extending to the grace of unity and peace among those joined to Christ in baptism. This grace fulfills the mystery of unity in the Holy Spirit among all who bear the name Christian.
The Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, conceived by Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, in partnership with the Reverend Spencer Jones of the Church of England, was first observed in the United States January 18-25, 1908 at Graymoor in Garrison, NY by the little Episcopal Franciscan religious community of Sisters and Friars called the Society of the Atonement. Fr. Paul had joined with Mother Lurana White, SA in founding the Society of friars and sisters in 1898. The little group of Franciscans believed strongly that they were called into existence to re-establish unity within the Church. After good and difficult times and experiences, the Holy Spirit led the Society into the Catholic Church in 1909.
The Octave and its reliance on prayer for unity were welcomed wholeheartedly by the Catholic Church and observance grew rapidly. It was at the conclusion of what became known as the Chair of Unity Octave on January 25, 1959, that Pope St. John XIII called for Vatican Council II. At the same time in the 20th century, similar Weeks of Prayer established by Catholics and Orthodox Christians in France as well as Reform Churches in Switzerland worked together on observances from January 18-25, based on the concept of praying for the unity of the Church, “as Christ wills it.” With the birth of the World Council of Churches in 1948, it became a firm part of the Christian Calendar in the West.
The streams came together after Vatican Council II. Since 1968, a joint commission of the WCC and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has settled on an annual scriptural theme produced by ecumenical groups in various countries. The theme for 2022 comes from the Middle East Council of Churches, with most of the input from the Christians of Lebanon. “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him.” (Cf. MT 2:2)