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January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christians of all denominations are called to celebrate Jesus together—and respect each other's differences.

Seasonal Features
Christian Unity

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Praying for Christian Unity: 100-year Anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The movement among Christians promoting Christian unity, as everyone knows, is the ecumenical movement. It is the Church’s attempt to practice what Our Lord prayed for on the night before he died for us.

Praying for Christian Unity
The desire for Christian unity—which is the real spark behind the ecumenical movement—originates in the heart of Christ. And Jesus’ fervent desire is expressed clearly in the prayer he uttered at the Last Supper.

Catholicism Welcomes the World
Unity, especially among Christians, was a theme of the papacy of John XXIII. He wanted to change the long-standing attitude of Catholic triumphalism that stood in the way of better relations with other denominations.

The Christian Family Tree: Celebrating Jesus Together
The 20th century saw the rise of the ecumenical movement as Christians began to show interest in breaking down the historic barriers between the Churches. The movement that emerged made some real gains, thanks to a new spirit on both sides of the wall separating Protestants, Orthodox and Catholics.



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Feast of the Presentation of Mary: Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.
<p>As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the <i>Protoevangelium of James</i> tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.
</p><p>Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.</p> Why are divorced/remarried Catholics treated differently from other sinners? There’s nothing more important I can do in my day than take some time to be with my Lord.

 
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Saints at the Dinner Table
CPA 2009 Award Winning author Amy Heyd cooks up delicious meals and dedicates each chapter to a saint.

 
CATHOLIC GREETINGS
Christ the King
Our liturgical year ends as it begins, focusing on our hope in the eternal majesty and mercy of God.



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