For Unity of Christians 18th - 25th January 2011

“I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my sheep, and mine know me, says the Lord, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.  I give my life for my sheep.” (John 10: 14-15)

Prayer

Lord, pour out upon us the fullness of your mercy and by the power of your Spirit remove divisions among Christians.  

Let your Church rise more clearly as a sign for all the nations that the world may be filled with the light of your Spirit, and believe in Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  May Christians constantly grow in the love of truth.  

May they study and work together for perfect unity among Christians.  Amen

“May they all be one, Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me, says the Lord.”

(John 17: 21)

Ther is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:5)

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.  (Colossians 3:15)

PSALM 99 (100) – A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

Worship the LORD with cries of gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

Know that the LORD is God,

our maker to whom we belong,

whose people we are, God's well-tended flock.

Enter the temple gates with praise,

its courts with thanksgiving.

Give thanks to God, bless his name;

Good indeed is the LORD,

Whose love endures forever,

whose faithfulness lasts through every age.

PSALM 22 (23) – The Lord is my Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures you let me graze;

to safe waters you lead me;

You restore my strength.

You guide me along the right path

for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley,

I fear no harm for you are at my side;

your rod and staff give me courage.

You set a table before me

as my enemies watch;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Għall-Għaqda tal-Insara 18 – 25 Jannar

« Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb; jiena nagħraf in-nagħaġ tiegħi, u n-nagħaġ tiegħi jagħrfu lili, bħalma l-Missier jagħraf lili u jiena nagħraf lill-Missier; u għan-nagħaġ tiegħi nagħti ħajti ». (Ġwanni 10 : 14-15)

 TALBA

Mulej Ġesu, awl il-lejl qabel ma mitt għalina, Int tlabt lil-Missier biex id-dixxipli tiegħeK ikunu ħaġa waħda, bħalma Int fil-Missier u l-Missier fiK, agħmel li aħna nħossu b’qalb sogħbiena n-niket tal-infedeltà tal-qsim ta’ bejnietna.

Agħtina d-dawl biex nagħrfu, u l-kuraġġ biex nikkundannaw l-indifferenza moħbija ġo fina, in-nuqqas ta’ fiduċja, u l-ispirtu ta’ kuntrarjeta li hemm bejnietna.

Agħmel li niltaqgħu lkoll fiK, biex minn ruħna u minn xofftejna titla’ bla heda t-talba tiegħek għall-għaqda tal-insara, kif tridha Int u bil-mezzi li trid Int.

FiK li Int l-Imħabba perfett, agħmel li nsibu t-triq li twassal għall-għaqda fl-obbedjenza tal-fidi, fl-imħabba u s-sewwa tiegħek.  Ammen

“ …nitolbok li jkunu lkoll ħaġa waħda. Kif inti fija, Missier, u jiena fik, ħa jkunu huma wkoll ħaġa waħda fina, biex hekk id-dinja temmen li inti bgħattni.” (Ġwanni 17:21)

“Nħeġġiġkom jien, il-priġunier tal-Mulej, biex timxu sewwa skond is-sejħa li biha kontu msejjħin; billi bl-umiltà kollha, bil-ħlewwa u bis-sabar, taħmlu u tħobbu 'l xulxin.  Ħabirku biex iżżommu spirtu wieħed bir-rabta tas-sliem;  ġisem wieħed u ruħ waħda, l-istess kif kontu msejjħa għal tama waħda;  Mulej wieħed, fidi waħda, magħmudija waħda; Alla wieħed u Missier ta' kulħadd, li hu fuq kulħadd, b'kulħadd u f'kulħadd”. (Efesin 4: 1-6)

“Intom il-magħżulin ta' Alla, il-qaddisin u l-maħbubin tiegħu. Ilbsu mela sentimenti ta' ħniena, tjieba, umiltà, ħlewwa u sabar.  Stabru b'xulxin, u, jekk xi ħadd minnkom ikollu xi jgħid ma' ħaddieħor, aħfru lil xulxin; bħalma l-Mulej ħafer lilkom, hekk agħmlu intom ukoll. U fuq kollox ilbsu l-imħabba, li hi l-qofol tal-perfezzjoni. Ħalli s-sliem ta' Kristu jsaltan fi qlubkom, dak is-sliem li għalih kontu msejjħa biex issiru ġisem wieħed. U ta' dan roddu ħajr lil Alla.  Ħalli l-kelma ta' Kristu tgħammar sħiħa fikom; għallmu bl-għerf kollu u widdbu lil xulxin b'salmi u innijiet u b'għana spiritwali, u b'radd il-ħajr kantaw f'qalbkom innijiet lil Alla. Kull ma tagħmlu jew tgħidu, agħmlu kollox f'isem il-Mulej Ġesù, u roddu ħajr lil Alla l-Missier permezz tiegħu”.  (Kolossin 3: 12 – 17)

Psalm 99 (100) - Sejħa għat-tifħir fit-tempju

Għajjtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,

nies kollha ta' l-art,

aqdu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,

idħlu quddiemu b'għana ferrieħi.

Kunu afu li l-Mulej hu Alla,

hu ħalaqna, u aħna tiegħu,

aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu.

Idħlu b'għana ta' ħajr mill-bibien tiegħu,

bit-tifħir fil-btieħi tat-tempju tiegħu;

roddulu ħajr u bierku ismu!

Għax twajjeb il-Mulej,

għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu;

minn żmien għal żmien il-fedeltà tiegħu.

Psalm 22 (23)  Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi

Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,

xejn ma jonqosni;

f'mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni.

Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;

hemm hu jrejjaqni.

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa minħabba l-isem tiegħu.

Mqar jekk nimxi f'wied mudlam,

ma nibżax mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.

Il-ħatar tiegħek u l-għasluġ tiegħek,

huma jwennsuni.

Int tħejji mejda għalija quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.

Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi, u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli.

Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti.

U ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej sakemm indum ħaj!

THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

from the Vatican http://www.vatican.vaThat they may become one in your hand (Ezek 37, 17)

Jointly prepared and published byThe Pontifical Council for Christian Unity
The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches

 

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The search for unity: throughout the year
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is 18-25 January. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul Wattson to cover the days between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul, and therefore have a symbolic significance. In the southern hemisphere where January is a vacation time churches often find other days to celebrate the week of prayer, for example around Pentecost (which was suggested by the Faith and Order movement in 1926), which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the church.