ECUMENISM AND THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2012............

For the 105th year since 1908, when a Episcopal priest and members of his congregation in New York State, committed themselves to keeping an octave of prayer devoted to reuniting Christians of Protestant and Catholic denominations, which led to the founding of the Graymoor Ecumenical Institute, we today begin the annual Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity. Conscientiously committed Catholic-Christians of all persuasions keep this week each year as an active sign of awareness and promotion of the ties that bind us together as followers of Jesus, "One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism". The theme and focus for our 2012 Christian Unity Week from Sacred Scriptural comes from Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians, in Chapter 15, and is found in the context of Verses 51-58; "All Of Us Will Be Changed By The Victory Of Our Lord Jesus Christ". For it is the Sacrifice and Triumph of Jesus The Christ over Sin and Death, and our Faith in His Lordship over Eternal Life, that is the cause of Discipleship and the purpose for our Unity. From 1908 forward Ecumenism, the work of reuniting the one Church founded by Christ, has manifested itself in the efforts of the World Council of Churches, the Second Vatican Council, and the ministry of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It continues through the mutual committment of Christian communities throughout the world, who gather together not only during this annual week of prayer and worship for Unity, but all year long, congregations of multiple denominations joined in building bridges of reconciliation and reunification. During the quarter century of my priestly, pastoral, ministry I have come to deeply appreciate the need for interaction between all Christian demoninations and have had extensive experiences of Ecumenical activities in each of the parishes in which I have served. I encourage and recommend that others do the same. This week of January 18th - 25th, provides all of us with the opportunity to pray, worship, and minister, together - as God intends us to, and to contribute to the ecumenical movement for the Unity of All the World's Christians............Fr. Troy