The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an ecumenical Christian observance in the Christian calendar that is celebrated internationally. It is kept annually between 18 January and 25 January in the Northern Hemisphere and between Ascension Day and Pentecost in the Southern Hemisphere.
This week will draw together churches across the globe to “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).” The theme is inspired by Isaiah 1:12-18, which laments a lack of justice among the People of God. Yet it also promises redemption by encouraging acts of justice. Like Isaiah, we hope to inspire a renewed desire and effort for justice among Christian peoples around the world. The theme and materials call Christians to recognize that the divisions between our churches and confessions cannot be separated from the divisions within the wider human family.
Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023 (PDF)
For reflection
Isaiah challenged God’s people in his day to learn to do good together; to seek justice together, to rescue the oppressed together, to defend the orphan and plead for the widow together. The prophet’s challenge applies equally to us today.
How can we live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time?
How can we engage in dialogue, increase awareness, understanding and insight about one another’s lived experiences?
La Semana de Oración por la Unidad de los Cristianos es una observancia cristiana ecuménica del calendario cristiano que se celebra internacionalmente. Se celebra anualmente entre el 18 y el 25 de enero en el hemisferio norte y entre el día de la Ascensión y Pentecostés en el hemisferio sur.
Esta semana reunirá a iglesias de todo el mundo para “Hacer el bien; buscar la justicia (Isaías 1:17)”. El tema se inspira en Isaías 1:12-18, que lamenta la falta de justicia en el Pueblo de Dios. Sin embargo, también promete la redención alentando los actos de justicia. Como Isaías, esperamos inspirar un deseo y un esfuerzo renovados por la justicia entre los pueblos cristianos de todo el mundo. El tema y los materiales llaman a los cristianos a reconocer que las divisiones entre nuestras iglesias y confesiones no pueden separarse de las divisiones dentro de la familia humana en general.
Recursos para la Semana de oración por la unidad de los cristianos (PDF)
Para reflexionar
Isaías desafió al pueblo de Dios de su tiempo a aprender a hacer el bien juntos; a buscar juntos la justicia, a rescatar juntos a los oprimidos, a defender juntos al huérfano y a suplicar juntos por la viuda. El desafío del profeta se aplica igualmente a nosotros hoy.
¿Cómo podemos vivir nuestra unidad como cristianos para hacer frente a los males y las injusticias de nuestro tiempo?
¿Cómo podemos entablar un diálogo, aumentar la conciencia, la comprensión y el entendimiento sobre las experiencias vividas por los demás?
Pope Francis will preside at the funeral Mass to be celebrated on Thursday morning , January 5, in St Peter’s Square, beginning at 9:30 am Rome time (3.30am Canada time).
What then is being asked of us? First of all, to let our hearts be changed by our experience of the [pandemic] crisis, to let God, at this time in history, transform our customary criteria for viewing the world around us. We can no longer think exclusively of carving out space for our personal or national interests; instead, we must think in terms of the common good, recognizing that we belong to a greater community, and opening our minds and hearts to universal human fraternity. We cannot continue to focus simply on preserving ourselves; rather, the time has come for all of us to endeavour to heal our society and our planet, to lay the foundations for a more just and peaceful world, and to commit ourselves seriously to pursuing a good that is truly common.
