Office for Christian Unity
Thursday 8 February 2024
Meditation
Following God’s call
[…] The greatest challenge for me as a Christian, or for you, is to “be” converted. Not to have been converted, but to be converted, every day. The conversion of life, as Benedict calls it in his Rule. […]
Revolution means first of all that our ecclesiastical institutions practise justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) […].
A Church that leaves the world around it unchanged has allowed itself to be changed by the world. A Church that leaves people unconverted has been converted to the world. A Church that neglects its internal justice, righteousness and mercy will live unjustly, unforgivingly and sinfully.
A Church that is not a place of peaceful revolution will only be a Church of history.
But a Church that acts uprightly, loves mercy and seeks justice, will find the peace of God, the presence of the Spirit and the call of Christ. A Church that gives light to the lost will find light in all its relationships and live in love. A Church of God’s revolution will be a Church that, from generation to generation, will see a transformed world.
It has happened before; it is God’s grace that will make it happen again. Come Holy Spirit! Amen.
Extract from Archbishop Justin Welby’s Second Keynote Address to the Lambeth Conference on 5 August 2022, in which he reflects on the historical legacy and global impact of the Church and calls the bishops to unity in following God’s call.
Intercessions
Prepared by our brothers and sisters in Canada
To be adapted according to your location
From 8 December 2023 to 8 December 2024, the Catholic Diocese of Quebec will be commemorating 350 years of existence. As the cradle of the faith in Quebec, this diocese has spread the Good News with remarkable evangelical zeal and joy. It has also responded to social needs, founded organisations that are still essential today, and helped give life to the culture we inherit today.
Lord, we thank you for the yes of each of these labourers to your harvest. We entrust this Jubilee Year to you: may it be a year of grace and renewal for all the people of Quebec.
A magnificent breeze of Christian unity blew over the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica in Quebec City during the ecumenical celebration on Sunday 21 January 2024. This bilingual ecumenical celebration was prepared by members of the Anglican, United, Presbyterian and Catholic Churches of Quebec.
Thank you Lord for all these initiatives to bring people together and celebrate Christianity. May the Holy Spirit continue to challenge us and push us along this ecumenical path as brothers and sisters working in the Lord’s vineyard.
The abuse scandal has hit the Catholic Church in Quebec in wave after wave. For many, sadness, anger and revolt are compounded by a loss of confidence in the Church and its ministers, and even a rejection of God.
Lord, we entrust to you all the victims and their families. May they find in you consolation, comfort and the strength to get back on their feet. We also entrust our suffering Church to your heart of goodness and mercy. Grant us the grace of sincere repentance. Come, Creator Spirit, shape our Church of tomorrow; wash, purify and renew our lives.