Links for January 19, 2025

The prayers and Christian Sympathy of the congregation are extended to the family and friends of Wayne Trenholm who died late last week. Visitation is on Monday, January 20th from 2-4 and 6-8 pm at MacIsaac Funeral Home with the funeral Tuesday, January 21st at St. James. Please keep his wife Kaye, Erin, Larry, Archie, Havelock and his sisters, brothers, and all of the family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Today is World Religion Day, a reminder of the need for harmony, peace and understanding between religions and faith systems, encouraging people to learn about other faiths and their followers. On this day, communities of different faiths can take the opportunity to get together and listen to each other, as well as celebrate the differences and commonalities that the delicate intermingling of culture and religion brings. There are approximately 4,200 religions around the world. While many people live their lives without religion, faith in a higher being or power works well for the majority of people

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

What is it? The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an annual ecumenical celebration. Christians around the world pray for the unity of all Christians, reflect on scripture together, participate in jointly-organized ecumenical services, and share fellowship.

When does it take place? In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held every year between January 18th and January 25th. This year’s service in Antigonish is at the St. FX Chapel on Thursday January 23rd at 7 pm. Representatives from St. James, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, St. Ninian’s, Full Gospel Assembly, and the University Community will take part.

Why does it matter? In the Gospel of John, Christ prays for his disciples before going to the cross. He asks that his followers “may all be one,” as he and the Father are one, “so that the world may believe” and have life in his name (John 17). Christian unity is here made central to the very being of the church and to its mission and witness.

Today, we live with divisions even as we yearn for the unity promised and commissioned by Christ. The long and often painful history of Christianity has sundered our churches for theological, liturgical, and political reasons. Many Christians now strive to heal these divisions, yet honour our diversity, through ecumenical dialogue, common action, and relationship-building. They also come together to pray for unity, joining Christ in his prayer to the Father.

The worldwide celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is both the seed and and the fruit of this striving for ‘unity in diversity’. This time of shared prayer, reflection, and fellowship invites Christians of different traditions to deepen our relationships and to live and witness together throughout the year.