Day 1 Theme - Witness through
Celebrating Life
Text - Why do you look for the living among the
dead? (Luke 24:5)
Readings
Genesis 1:1. 26-31 God saw all that he had made, and
indeed, it was very good
Psalm 104:1-24 O Lord, how manifold are your works.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 If
the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised
Luke 24:1-5 Why do you look
for the living among the dead?
Commentary
Our journey of Christian unity is firmly rooted in
our common belief that in the resurrection of
Jesus Christ,- we celebrate
not only the life God has given us but the offer of new life through
Jesus’ conquering death once and
for all. As
we meet together during this Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, we witness to our shared faith by
our concern for the life of all. Life is God’s gift
to us, and the more we support and
celebrate life, the more we give witness to the one whose
generous love brought us to life
initially.
The reading from the book of Genesis reminds us of
the creative power and energy of God. It is
this power and energy that St Paul
encounters in experiencing Jesus’ resurrection.
He challenges the people of Corinth to put their
total trust in the Risen Lord and his offer of new
life.
The psalm continues this theme as it proclaims the
glory of God’s creation.
Our gospel passage challenges us to look for new
life in the face of a culture of death that our
world frequently presents to us. It
encourages us to trust in Jesus’ power, and so to experience life
and healing.
Today, we thank God for all that shows God’s love
for us: for all of creation; for brothers and
sisters in all parts of the world; for
communion in love, for forgiveness and healing and for life
eternal.
Prayer
God our creator, we praise you for all who give
witness to their faith by their words and actions.
In living life to the full we encounter your loving
presence in the many experiences you offer us.
May our common witness of celebrating life unite us
in blessing you, the author of all life.
Reflection questions
1. To what extent do your own witness and the
witness of your church celebrate life?
2. Will others know from your witness that Christ
has been raised from the dead?
3. What do you see as the areas of growth in your
life?
4. Are there things of the past that the churches
cling to which ought to be laid to rest
because of a new ecumenical consciousness?