The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from 18th to 25th January – the octave of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The theme chosen for 2017 is ‘Crossing Barriers’ and the resource material was prepared for worldwide use by the churches in Germany based around the verses 2 Corinthians 5:14-20. The text from 2 Corinthians announces that God has, in Christ, reconciled the world to himself. The love of Christ compels us to be ambassadors of this reconciliation, which is enacted by dismantling walls (see below).
As part of our celebrations for Christian Unity Week in Clongowes, we will welcome staff and students from The King’s Hospital who will join us in the Sports’ Hall on Sunday for Mass before taking lunch with us in the refectory. Later in the evening staff and students from Clongowes will return the compliment when we visit The King’s Hospital for Evening Prayer. This is always a beautiful occasion and one in which there is a lot of effort given to making us feel welcome. We at Clongowes are always grateful to The King’s Hospital for their solidarity, compassion and generosity to our school with their time and effort and look forward to meeting them again next Sunday. Sincere thanks to all involved in making this event meaningful and very enjoyable.
Be reconciled to God
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
More on The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity here.