Events Commended to Your Prayer

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

"Called to Proclaim the Mighty Acts of the Lord"
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins this Monday, January 18. This annual observance has a history of over 100 years. All Christians are asked to fervently pray during this week that they move toward the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper "that they all may be one." Let us heed the counsel of Pope Francis:

"Dear brothers and sisters, let us ask the Lord Jesus, who has made us living members of his body, to keep us deeply united to him, to help us overcome our conflicts, our divisions and our self-seeking, and to be united to one another by one force, by the power of love, which the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts. Amen."

Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, January 18
As our nation observes the birthday of the slain civil rights leader, let us pray for an end to racial discrimination and for the preservation of justice and peace in our country and throughout the world. Dr. King prayed: "Lord, help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity. Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace. Help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God's children...will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray. Amen."

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn

Friday, January 22
This Friday, January 22, marks the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision on "Roe vs. Wade" that legalized abortion on demand in our country. Let us pray that the thousands marching in the nation's capital and those gathering at the State House in Trenton will be an effective witness on behalf of life and a voice for the most vulnerable and those who cannot speak for themselves. Let us pray: "God our loving Father, grant wisdom to those who govern us, compassion and courage to those who work to defend human life, and safety and care to every human being. For you alone who formed us in our mother's wombs and who call us home to heaven are God forever and ever. Amen."