Office for Christian Unity,
Thursday, January 26th, 2023
Meditation
The baptismal life is a vocation of love
The Christian is therefore a seeker of God who wants to devote all their strength to making God’s loving gaze his own, in order to act according to the views of the one whom Christ has taught to call Father.
But then, what does loving consist of for the Christian? Christ’s method of “love one another” ends with: “as I have loved you”. But the true conclusion of Christ’s way of loving was the cross at Golgotha, a real “senseless nightmare” for men and women today who loudly express their revolt at the slightest experience of suffering.
To love as Christ did cannot be lived or thought of without expressing forgiveness, which is united to it like the other side of the same coin.
The observation today is that the spirit of heroism which led the ancients to organise life on the basis of the concept of holiness seems backward and outdated for our technological and electronic civilisation, with the over-valorisation of the diverse pleasures which are flooding the world. […] To experience that the other is different and does not always accommodate the expressions of my feelings of love is the least of the sufferings in this case. A love without suffering simply because one loves a different and free being has little meaning.
Abbé Jean-Pierre NINGAINA
La morale dans l’Église catholique en Afrique – Aux croisements de l’agir chrétien
dans la traversée des coutumes traditionnelles du Tchad, P. 138
Intercessions
Prepared by the brothers and sisters from Chad.
To be used as appropriate
(Intercessory Chorus)
1/ The Anglican Church in Chad witnessed a great event on Saturday 21st January 2023. Two deacons were ordained to the priesthood in Ndjamena by Archbishop Samy Fawzy Shahata of the Anglican Church of Egypt. He was welcomed at the Catholic Archdiocese by Archbishop Edmond Djitangar, Archbishop of Ndjamena.
Lord, we pray that this fellowship between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church will be an open door for Christian unity in Chad.
(Intercessory Chorus)
2/ On 20th October 2022, protests throughout Chad led to a number of bloody clashes. In response, the Catholic bishops called for peace and dialogue. On 6th January 2023, they were received in Ndjamena by the president of the transition to discuss the theme of “walking together in truth”.
Lord, we pray that this move made between the Catholic Church and the government in power will initiate dialogue and contribute to the unity of the Chadian people.
(Intercessory Chorus)
3/ Each day at the Chemin Neuf Community health centre and school in Ku Jericho begins with a time of prayer. This daily prayer, inspired by different churches, allows us to grow in fellowship and to together offer ourselves more in the service of the local population.
Lord, thank you for this small beginning. We pray for all those places where Christians of different confessions meet, work together, and pray to you with one heart. Multiply these initiatives of dialogue and collaboration, so that this path of unity may grow in our hearts and have a greater impact in Chad.