In our volatile and troubled age, “Christians must be increasingly determined to raise a united voice before the world,” Archbishop J. Michael Miller said in addresses delivered during two services marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Speaking at services at the Holy Rosary Cathedral and the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Archbishop Miller acknowledged that doctrinal differences continue to exist, but “as servants of the Gospel we are all committed to defending human dignity, especially in the poorest, the weakest, the most vulnerable and the marginalized.”
This shared commitment “means that here in the Lower Mainland we need to cooperate more visibly and effectively in providing relief to the afflicted, hope to the discouraged, welcome to the displaced, rest to the burdened, and commitment to building a more just society where we are all brothers and sisters, fratelli tutti [all brothers].
“Even more important than all these good and practical projects, we should not shy away from witnessing to those moral values that are counter-cultural, those values that are rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Among other Christian leaders attending the services were Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Ken Shigematsu of Tenth Church, Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. David Koop of Coastal Church, Bishop John Stephens of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, and Senior Pastor Matt Menzel of Westside Church.
The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer, Jan. 18-25, was, “We have seen His Star in the East and have come to pay homage to Him,” which is a passage from the Gospel of Matthew.
Pope Francis embraced this while speaking in Rome to an ecumenical delegation from Finland. He said that, like the Magi following the Star in the East, our response to God’s calling “must surely be … a journey together.”
As reported by the Vatican News, Pope Francis explained, “Those who are touched by God’s grace cannot turn in on themselves and live only for themselves; they are always on the march, always driven to go forward — and to go forward together.”
Archbishop Miller also drew inspiration from this theme. “As Christians, we see in the wise men’s eager search for the newborn King, the human person’s hunger for truth, goodness and beauty, a hunger that all the baptized are called upon to awaken, so that the deepest yearnings of the human heart can be satisfied,” he said. “Drawn from different cultures, races and languages, Christians share in a common search for Christ, a common desire to worship him, and a common desire to bring others to him.”
Archbishop Miller said that, while full Eucharistic communion is not yet possible, “we all worship the living God in Christ, who presented himself in humility at his birth.”
As Christians work towards unity, “at all costs, we have to avoid the temptation to be content with the status quo, to what we are doing right now—even the very good things,” Archbishop Miller said. “Let’s never neglect obedience to the Lord’s greater and grander plan, which he plainly told us is for unity among believers.”
Fifteen events were originally planned for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, but four were either cancelled or postponed because of the pandemic, Deacon Richard Chau, the archdiocese’s Coordinator, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, said in an email interview.
Speaking at one of the events that did take place, an ecumenical Taizé Prayer service at St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody on January 21, Deacon Chau elaborated on the Star in the East theme, saying, “The world needs a light that shines in the darkness, and that light, all Christians believe, has been manifested in Jesus Christ.”
The Magi, he continued, “reveal to us the unity of people of diverse culture, driven by the same hunger for God to come to Bethlehem to see the newborn King, and to give homage.”
About 50 people attended the service, including a small group from St. John the Apostle Anglican Church in Port Moody. St. Joseph’s pastor, Father Mark McGuckin, deemed the evening a great success.
“Deacon Chau, our ecumenical team, our hospitality team, and our choir did a wonderful job of raising everyone’s spirits, warming hearts, and connecting all those present to Our Lord who desires that ‘all may be one,’ Father McGuckin said. “Since Friday, there has been a great deal of positive feedback and we’re already looking ahead to hosting another Taizé night in the not-too-distant future.”
