Day 4 – The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 2010

(This is Neil)

Day 4
Theme: Bearing witness through celebrating the faith we have received

Text – “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth.” (Luke 24:19)

Readings
Deuteronomy 6:3-9 The Lord is our God, the Lord alone
Psalm 34 I will bless the Lord at all times
Acts 4:32-35 Of one heart and soul
Luke 24:17-21 But we had hoped…

Commentary
We have an enormous debt of gratitude to those whose faith has provided the foundation for our Christian lives today. Numerous men and women through their prayer, witness and worship have ensured that the faith is handed down to the next generations. In Scotland we have an impressive Christian history: Saint Ninian in the 4^th century, Saint Columbus in the 6^th century and the many Celtic saints whose faith was rooted in the love of God and wonder at his creation. The faith of Scottish people can also be seen in the very important role played in the diffusion of the Reformation of the 16^th century and the way in which this spirit has been firmly maintained since then.

Today’s readings affirm the importance of supporting the community of faith in order to ensure the dissemination of the Word of God. The passage from Deuteronomy gives us the beautiful prayer of our Jewish sisters and brothers, who every day use these words to praise God. The Psalm invites us to bear witness through praise for what we have received as believers, so that our faith may be shown through glorifying and thanksgiving. The extract from Acts reveals a community united in faith and charity. The gospel passage shows us Jesus as the centre of what we have received in faith.

As we unite with our Christian brothers and sisters in praying for unity during this week, we welcome the rich variety of our Christian heritage. We pray that awareness of our common heritage may unite us more closely as we progress in faith.

Prayer
Lord God, we give you thanks for all the people and communities who have communicated the message of the Good News to us, and thus given us a solid foundation for our faith today. We pray that we too may together bear witness to our faith, so that others may know you and place their trust in the truth of salvation offered in Jesus Christ for the life of the world.

Reflection Questions
1. Who inspired you in your faith?
2. What are the aspects of faith which inspire you in your everyday life?
3. What do you feel were the most important teachings which were passed on to you?
4. How can you recognize God at work with you in the transmission of faith the future generations?