Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022

Canon Daniel Nuzum, Ecumenical Officer in the Diocese of Cork Cloyne and Ross introduces this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:

‘We saw his star in the East..’
‘Chonaiceamar a réalta ag éirí…’

This year is the 55th international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU). The octave of prayer runs from 18th to 25th January each year as a focussed time of prayer, reflection, study and witness to pray for the visible unity of Christians. It is a response to Christ’s call to us that we would be one.

This year the text for the WPCU was prepared by Christians in the Middle East – the cradle of Christianity. A cradle that is so vividly recalled for us in the crib we build each Christmas. It is poignant at this time when the Christian Community in the Holy Land is fragile, that we offer our prayerful support for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and like the first Epiphany when the Magi or Wise Men followed the star in the East to find the Christ child, that we too look once again to this fragile place to find and give hope for unity and solidarity as people of faith. Like the first Epiphany, the Star shone above an uncertain place to bring light to the world in Jesus Christ.

In our Cork area our Ecumenical Standing Committee from the Church of Ireland, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church has a strong and committed relationship of prayer and friendship. As ever, we encourage local Christians to seek every opportunity to work together in the
service of Christ and to find ways of praying and witnessing together throughout the year.

Material for each day of the week can be downloaded from https://ctbi.org.uk/resources-for-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2022/.

I encourage everyone to take time individually this year to pray for unity. Things are so different for us all during this time of pandemic, however, what a powerful witness it would be for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East in the midst of such uncertainty to know that we are taking time to pray with and for them over these days. I encourage you to light a candle, or place a star of hope in your home and share a photo on social media as we too look towards the light that is Christ this Week of Prayer.