NOVENA TO DON BOSCO - DAY 4

25th January, 2017: Don Bosco - A Father of a Family

Our Challenge: That we feel part of a family called to march towards sanctity

Our Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for Don Bosco, a man who initiated a movement, a family that marches hand in hand towards sanctity. May we inherit from this great person of God the sense of belonging to each other, specially to those who are suffering or in need. May we edify each other by our personal sanctity and journey together towards that eternal home of bliss that you have prepared for us. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

UNITY OCTAVE 2017 - DAY 8

The Love of Christ compels us

Reconciliation: 
Prayer for Unity in the Church, Jan18-Jan25

What if? What if the prophecies in the Bible actually came true? If the wars between people stopped and if life-giving things were to be made out of the weapons of war? What if God’s justice and peace reigned, a peace which was more than simply the absence of war? If all of humanity came together for a celebration in which not a single person was marginalized? What if there really was no more mourning, no more tears, and no more death? It would be the culmination of the reconciliation that God brought about in Jesus Christ. It would be heaven!

Psalms, canticles, and hymns sing of the day when the whole perfected creation finally arrives at its goal, the day when God will be “all in all”. They tell about the Christian hope for the fulfilment of God´s reign, when suffering will be transformed into joy. On that day, the Church will be revealed in her beauty and grace as the one body of Christ. Wherever we gather in the Spirit to sing together about the fulfilment of God’s promises, the heavens break open and we begin here and now to dance to the melody of eternity.

As we can already experience this presence of heaven, let us celebrate together. We may be inspired to share images, poems and songs from our particular traditions. These materials can open up spaces for us to experience our common faith in and hope for God’s Kingdom.

THEME FOR DAY 8: RECONCILED TO GOD (2 Cor 5:20)

REFERENCES:

Micah 4:1-5	In the last days justice will reign
Psalm 87	Glorious things are spoken of God
Revelation 21:1-5a	God will make a new heaven and a new earth
John 20:11-18	Meeting the risen Christ leads to personal mission

PRAYER FOR THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him. Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of the Church. May we all recognise that we are truly one with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord Amen.