Office for Christian Unity

Thursday 29 February 2024

Meditation

Uncompromising faith

We will be listening to texts by Catherine and William Booth (founders of the Salvation Army) during Lent 2024.

What does it mean to follow Christ? It’s not difficult to understand. It simply means keeping His commandments and imitating His example.
[…]
God gave his Son, his only Son, to live, work and die in order to save a lost world. What have you given? What are you giving today? Perhaps you’re saying inwardly: “I have very few talents, very few precious things and even fewer financial resources. What can I do?” If you make the best use of what you have, that’s all God asks for. For he who has, that is, who makes good use of what he has, more will be given, and it is not destitution that God sees with pleasure and approves, but the use of what little you have. Onward, then! Let us begin again at this moment the work of generosity, giving ourselves and our loved ones to God, and resolving to pay more than ever with our own money and our own selves, to the best of our ability, for the salvation of the world.
[…]
Put into practice the measure of faith you already possess! It’s the surest way I know of to increase your share of this precious gift.


William Booth (quoted by Corinne Gossauer-Peroz in ‘Prier 15 jours avec William et Catherine BOOTH, fondateurs de l’Armée du Salut’, Ed. Nouvelle Cité, 2008, pp. 96-97.

Intercessions

In union with our brothers and sisters of the Tigery Cenacle, and with a deep desire for unity between our Churches, we turn to You, Lord, and pray.

To be adapted according to your location

On March 13 and 14, the Institut Supérieur d’Études Œcuméniques (ISEO) will be holding a symposium in Paris on the theme of “Christian churches and political actors: what conditions for what cooperation? We give thanks for the ISEO’s commitment to training experts in ecumenism, who are called to serve the Churches in France and throughout the world, with a view to promoting unity between Christians and deepening knowledge of issues relating to this unity.

Lord, we entrust you with the preparation of the symposium. Grant all the speakers the wisdom and inspiration needed to tackle the complex issues surrounding the relationship between Christian churches and social and political involvement in society. May their work be guided by love, truth and a sincere desire to build bridges and foster cooperation for the common good.

Numerous ecumenical initiatives and events are planned alongside the Olympic and Paralympic Games, such as Holy Games and Ensemble2024.

Lord, accompany them with your grace so that they may be opportunities for encounter and sharing of peace between different religious and cultural communities. May these ecumenical events be living testimonies of your love and desire for unity among all your children.

In June 2024, the Diocesan Service for Relations with Judaism of the Diocese of Evry is organizing a trip to Germany with CEDER (Centre d’Étude, de Documentation et de Recherche des Cultures Juives) to meet the Jewish communities at the origin of the Ashkenazi culture of Central Europe.

Lord, we pray that this journey together as Jews and Christians will be an opportunity for true encounter and new friendships, and that the Christians of the Evry diocese who take part will discover how much our Christian faith owes to Judaism.