INTRODUCTION
“Do you believe this?” … “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
John 11:26,27
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an important opportunity for us in the Sword of the Spirit to pray for unity with Christians from around the world and from various church traditions. We work with materials provided by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in conjunction with the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Catholic Church. The brothers and sisters of the monastic community of Bose in northern Italy were tasked with composing the 2025 materials. This year, our theme is “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26), from Jesus’ conversation with Martha, the sister of Lazarus.
We are remembering also the 1,700th anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council (in 325) of Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Türkey). This Council was called to address the controversy about the nature of the Son of God, particularly His divinity. This argument was causing division among and within Christian communities.
In our Sword of the Spirit document called Community Life and Order, we state that a member must be orthodox in beliefs, which means accepting the truths stated in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Thus, we regard the creeds as an expression of our unity in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The reflections after the daily Scripture will be by “patristic fathers,” whose writings influenced the beliefs and doctrines of the members attending the council. The selections come from Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Armenian authors. This will be an opportunity for us to encounter some writers we may not have encountered before. We hope this journey together through the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will increase our hope for greater unity among us and among the Christian people.
NOTE: On five of the days, we have included special intercessions for our Sword of the Spirit Regions, as well as a prayer for unity in the Lord’s Day prayers.
CONTENTS
- Message from the International President of the Sword of the Spirit
- Day 1: Saturday, January 18, 2025 The Fatherhood of God Who Rules the Universe
- Day 2: Sunday, January 19, 2025 Creation as God’s work
- Day 3: Monday, January 20, 2025 The Incarnation of the Son
- Day 4: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
- Day 5: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 The Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life and Joy
- Day 6: Thursday, January 23, 2025 The Church, a Community of Believers
- Day 7: Friday, January 24, 2025 Baptism into the Death and Resurrection of the Lord
- Day 8: Saturday, January 25, 2025 Waiting for the Kingdom and the Life to Come
This introduction to the Week of Prayers for Christian Unity is excerpted from the Sword of the Spirit website © 2025.
Top image credit: Christian people standing together in cross shaped formation, from Bigstock.com, © by bestdesign36, stock photo ID: 402883985. Used with permission. Scripture passage added.
The Sword of the Spirit is a network of charismatic and ecumenical covenant communities and movements around the World.