Pilgrims Together: Celebr ating Christian Unity Ecumenical Pr ayer Service

Transcription

1 Fiftieth Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council s Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio Pilgrims Together: Celebr ating Christian Unity Ecumenical Pr ayer Service Presider

2 Musical Prelude: (during which ministers will process into the sanctuary) Leader 1: Invitation: Jesus said: where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Matt 18:20). Let us [stand and] in silence acknowledge the Lord s presence in our midst. Moment of silence Opening hymn: (a list of suggested hymns is found in Appendix I) The assembly is invited to be seated: Leader 2: (Introduction) In 1959, Pope John XXIII called for an Ecumenical Council, with the restoration of Christian Unity as one of the Council s principal concerns (UR, 1). Five years later, his successor, Pope Paul VI, promulgated Unitatis Redintegratio, [U-ni-TA-tis Red-in-te GRAT-si-o] the Council s decree on Ecumenism. Now, fifty years later, we gather to celebrate the great strides we have taken on the path to Christian Unity, and to pray that the work of ecumenism may come to fruition around the Table of the Lord. Leader 1: (Invitation to prayer of repentance, for which the assembly stands) The apostle James invites us to confess our faults and to pray for one another. As we begin this time of prayer and worship let us acknowledge our sins against the unity of the Body of Christ. The response to each of these petitions is: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy Jesus prayed that all may be one. Still, the body of Christ is rent by division. And so we pray: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy Though we are bound by a common baptism and a faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we fail to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. And so we pray: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy The grace of the Holy Spirit has wrought great works in the hearts of our brothers and sisters. Yet sin blinds us to the mystery of the Spirit at work in powerful ways. And so we pray: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy Ecumenical service to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio. Presider 1

3 Christ summons the Church to continual reformation as she sojourns here on earth. Yet our conduct has made Christian unity more difficult to achieve, and so we pray: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy As Christians, we desire a true change of heart, a renewal of the inner life of our minds, to be humble and of service to others, and so we pray: have mercy on us O Lord, have mercy May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess 5:23) AMEN [Depending on the circumstances, one could have up to three witnesses from different Christian communities describe their experience of ecumenism. It would be good if these could be about four minutes in length each. There is an appendix of other suitable readings from the Old and New Testament.] First witness: A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians Ephesians. 4:1-6 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all Reflection by first witness: Second witness: A continuation of the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians Ephesians. 4:7-13 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ s gift. [ ] 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Reflection by second witness: Third witness: A continuation of the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians Ephesians. 4:15-16 [ ] Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body s growth in building itself up in love. Ecumenical service to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio. Presider 2

4 Reflection by third witness: Musical interlude or hymn: GOSPEL ACCLIMATION Assembly: The Lord says: I will not leave you orphaned; I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. Gospel [Proclaimed by one of the leaders or by another minister] A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John: John 17:1-3, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, [ ] 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. [ ]. 20 I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, 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. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Silence Homiletic reflection Gifts for the poor: A collection may be taken up at this time for a charity that would be familiar to different Christian communities in the area (food bank, shelter for abused women and children, local hospital, long term care facility, inner city housing) while a hymn or meditation is played. Petitions: Leader 2: Brothers and sisters, we direct our prayers to God our loving Father, for he wills that all humankind be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. The response is: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US 1. For the entire people of God, that through our common baptism we may strive to achieve unity of heart and mind around the table of the Lord, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US 2. For our individual communities of faith, that the Spirit may strengthen the bonds of charity and remove from our hearts all discord, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US Ecumenical service to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio. Presider 3

5 3. For the poor, the suffering, and unemployed of our communities, that all may share in our abundance, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US 4. For our civic, provincial and federal leaders, that their actions may always serve the common good, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US 5. For those who sleep in Christ, that they may enjoy the light and peace of God s presence, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US 6. For those petitions we hold in the silence of our hearts, Christ hear us: CHRIST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US Leader 2: We pray as Jesus taught us: (The Lord s Prayer) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Forever and ever. AMEN Leader 1: Concluding Prayer We humbly ask you, Lord, lover of the human family, to pour out more fully upon us the grace of your Spirit, and grant that, walking worthily in the vocation to which you have called us, we may bear witness to the truth before others and seek with confidence the unity of all believers in the bond of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN! Leader 1: Blessing May the Lord bless and keep you. AMEN May he let his face shine upon you and show you his mercy. AMEN May he turn his countenance toward you and give you his peace. AMEN [Depending on the circumstances, one may conclude with] Ecumenical service to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio. Presider 4

6 And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever. AMEN Leader 2: As we conclude, let us offer to those around us a sign of God s peace. Concluding Hymn The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Excerpts of the English translation of The Roman Missal 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Canadian Edition, Concacan Inc., All rights reserved. Used with permission. Edited by: National Liturgy Office Ecumenical service to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio. Presider 5