As we begin the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we ask God to help Christian Churches to seek common ground and an appreciation for each other. Prayer is the key which opens our hearts to Christ’s desire for unity. We remember that we share a common baptism and faith in the Trinity. Our practice of faith begins in our shared appreciation for Scripture as the Word of God where we encounter the saving truth of Jesus. In this, we are reminded of an important teaching of  Pope Benedict and echoed by Pope Francis: “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a Person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” That person is, of course, Jesus. Our common witness to our faith in Him calls us to work together on those issues which unite us: caring for the sick, the needy, migrants, and refugees, and confronting religious persecution. Through these shared experiences, the discovery of further common ground can come to pass. This week, remember the truth that as disciples of Jesus, we seek to follow him in doing the will of the Father. Together.
 
 
**For more information, visit the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity section of the diocesan website: www.portlanddiocese.org/week-prayer-christian-unity.