Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 18-25, 2017

Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us
(cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-20)

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:14-20 NRS

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Day 1
One has died for all
(2 Corinthians 5:14)

• He gave his life as an atoning sacrifice (Isaiah 53:4-12)
• God did not abandon me to death (Psalm 118: 1.14-29)
• Christ died for all (1 John 2:1-2)
• Giving his life for his friends (John 15:13-17)

Prayer

God our Father,
in Jesus you gave us the one who died for all.
He lived our life and died our death.
You accepted his sacrifice and raised him to new life with you.
Grant that we, who have died with him,
may be made one by the Holy Spirit
and live in the abundance of your divine presence
now and for ever.
Amen.

(From the international version of the text of the Week of Prayer 2017
By The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity & The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches)