Introduction
In A.D. 325, the Roman emperor, Constantine, called a council in the city of Nicaea. The council brought together bishops from all over Christendom in order to resolve some divisive issues and ensure the continued unity of the church. This meeting of world bishops is known as The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. In 2025 we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and today Christians everywhere are called to pray and work to bring about the unity of all Christian Churches. Ecumenical dialogue is a central feature of contemporary ecumenism.
Reading
During this month especially, Christians of all churches are praying to the Lord for the union of all who believe in Christ. We can see the importance of Christian unity in the words of St. John in which Jesus prays “that all may be one” in order that “the world may know” and believe the Gospel message (Jn 17: 20-23). We can also see the importance of Church unity in the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians: ”Strive to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all" (Eph 4:1, 3-4).
During this month Jesus asks us to reflect and grieve because of this division in our Christian communities and to pray with strength and faith ‘hat all may be one”.
- O God, come to my aid.
- Lord, make haste to help me.
- Glory be to the Father...
- As it was in the beginning...
Song: Where Charity and Love Prevail
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love, by love are we thus bound.
With grateful joy and holy fear His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul now love him in return.
Forgive we now each other’s faults as we our faults confess;
And let us love each other well in Christian holiness.
Let strife among us be unknown, let all contention cease;
Be His the glory that we seek, be ours His holy peace.
Let us recall that in our midst dwells God’s begotten Son;
As members of His body joined, we are in Him made one.
No race or creed can love exclude, if honored be God’s name;
Our family embraces all whose Father is the same.
Silence for Adoration.
Psalm 133.
This Psalm invites us to give our full attention to something worthwhile. It announces to us something that is extraordinarily rare, striking: there is a human group that is living a relationship of fraternity and communion. See: what sweetness, what delight, to live together as brothers and sisters. There is no perfume equal to concord, no gentleness like sincere love.
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Silence for meditation.
Reading.
Promoting the restoration of the unity of all Christians is one of the main purposes of the Second Vatican Council. "For there is only one Church founded by Christ the Lord, but there are many Christian Communions which present themselves to men as the true heritage of Jesus Christ; they all confess themselves to be disciples of the Lord, but they feel differently and follow different paths, as if Christ were divided. Division openly contradicts the will of Christ, is a scandal to the world and harms the most holy cause of the preaching of the Gospel to all people".
Silence for reflection.
Do you hope and work, hope and love, hope and pray that one day communion among all Christians will become a reality?
Petitions.
- For the Church; that, humble and simple, we may be an open home for all Christians…
- For all churches and Christian communities; that the Holy Spirit may make us experience the suffering of division and the desire for union....
- For ourselves; that, overcoming prejudices, we may deepen our spirit of charity. ...
Our Father.
Prayer.
God our Father, you alone can accomplish what seems impossible to us: hear our prayer that disunity may cease and that your Church may be consecrated in unity. Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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