P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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INTENTION : |
That the Church may strengthen her commitment to full visible unity in order to manifest in an ever growing degree her nature as community of love, in which is reflected the communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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Once again the entire Church is reminded to pray earnestly for the visible unity of the many Christian churches. The tragic divisions which, over time, have arisen among Christ's followers openly contradict the Lord's will, give scandal to the world and damage the most important work of proclaiming the Good News of the Gospels to every creature of every generation.
As a sign of our shared hope in God's promises and our desire to see fulfilled the prayer that Jesus offered for his disciples on the eve of His suffering and death, "that they may be all one, as you Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17:21), we are asked to pray for the unity of all Christians. Then we will be more convincing witnesses of the truth of the Gospel and become better servants of the Church's mission.
Jesus gave His life on the Cross to gather into one the dispersed children of God and thus break down the walls of division. Through the sacrament of Baptism, we have been incorporated into the Body of Christ - the Church. Christians are called to offer a radiant sign of hope and consolation to this world so marked by conflicts and tensions.
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