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Praying for the Reunification of Our Patriarchate
At their 1996 session, the synod of Melkite bishops issued a call for the reunification of the Greek patriarchate of Antioch. They committed themselves “to find ways for the two Churches — Melkite Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox — to return to communion with each other and into unity within one Antiochian patriarchate.”
To hasten the day, the bishops asked all their faithful to join with them in prayer that the holy will of God may be fulfilled in all of us. Since then, Melkite and Antiochian Orthodox clergy and people have begun to pray for one another that we reach unity through oneness of heart. Intercession for the growth of unity between our sister Churches has become another of the regular prayer intentions in the Society.
Our Church will be renewed as its individual parishes are renewed, and each parish will be renewed as the individual believers in it are renewed. Likewise, the desire for unity will grow in our respective Churches as individual parishes and believers foster that goal through prayer and action. Therefore it is particularly important that each of us recommit ourselves to pray daily for each other, for all the members of our eparchy and for the reunification of our patriarchate.
If our diocese is to grow in faith and the union of mutual love, it must have the prayer of faith as its foundation. Join us in this effort to bring the life of the Lord in our communities ever closer to where the Lord wants us to be.