2021 ‘America United’ Inauguration Theme

 Inauguration of  Joe Biden

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States will mark the commencement of the four-year term of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president. 

"America United" is the official theme for the Inauguration Day events as Kamala Harris and Joe Biden prepare to take the oath of office, and various events and shows take place throughout the day. Presidential Inaugural Committee Chief Executive Officer Tony Allen said in a statement,  “This inauguration marks a new chapter for the American people — one of healing, of unifying, of coming together, of an America united.”

Traditionally a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court typically administers the oath of office. That oath, which has been in use since 1884 reads:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm)

 that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States 

against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

 that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; 

that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation

 or purpose of evasion; 

and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office 

on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

As a Nation we pray for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.  We pray for wisdom, discernment, leadership, integrity, humility, vision, unity, justice, equity, respect and safety as they begin their 4-year term leading the nation.  We pray for peace in our country, our cities and our homes.

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

May We Be One in Christ

 Cluny Sisters’ 
'Cor Unum et Anima Una!'

 

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has a history of over 100 years in which Christians around the world have taken part in an octave of prayer making visible, Christian unity and discipleship.  By annually observing the ‘Unity Octave’, Christians globally move toward the fulfillment of Jesus' commandment, that we love one another as Jesus loves us.

The theme for the 2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit,” is taken from the Gospel of John 15: 5-9. The resources for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp and expresses their vocation to prayer, reconciliation and unity in the church and the human family.

As I pray for unity and freedom from hatred, violence and division, I unite with my Cluny Sisters throughout the world and pray for the gift of ‘Cor Unum et Anima Una’.

Abiding in Christ is an inner attitude that takes root in us over time. It demands space to grow. It can be overtaken by the struggle for the necessities of life and it is threatened by the distractions, noise, activity and the challenges of life. 

We live in a time that is both troubling and magnificent, a dangerous and challenging time. As Disciples of Christ, Christians know the value of a spiritual life and embrace the responsibility to a Gospel Life, uniting with and helping each other to build the Kingdom of God here on earth.  As refuges of peace and environments of silence we can together call on the creative word of God and bring about the Kingdom of God.

Abiding in Christ the Fruit of Solidarity and Witness Grows

Though we, as Christians, strive to abide in the love of Christ, we also live in a creation that groans as it waits to be set free (Romans 8). In the world we witness the evils of suffering and conflict. Through solidarity with those who suffer we allow the love of Christ to flow through us. Jesus’ paschal mystery bears fruit in us when we offer love to our brothers and sisters and nurture hope in the world.

Spirituality and solidarity are inseparably linked. Abiding in Christ, we receive the strength and wisdom to act against structures of injustice and oppression, to fully recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters in humanity, and to be creators of a new way of living, with respect for and communion with all of creation.

Prayer and everyday life are not two separate realities but are meant to be united. All that we experience is meant to become an Encounter with the Living God.

For these eight days of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2021, we propose a journey of prayer and reflection:

Day 1      Called by God: “You did not choose me but I chose you”

               (Jn 15:16a)

Day 2      Maturing internally: “Abide in me as I abide in you” (Jn 15:4a)

Day 3      Forming one body: “Love one another as I have loved you”

                (Jn 15:12b)

Day 4      Praying together: “I do not call you servants any longer … but

                I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15)

Day 5      Letting oneself be transformed by the Word: “You have

                already been pruned by the word…” (Jn 15:3)

Day 6      Welcoming others: “Go and bear fruit, fruit that will last”

                (Jn 15:16b)

Day 7      Growing in unity: “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15:5a)

Day 8      Reconciling with all of creation: “So that my joy may be in you, and

                that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11)

Blessing Prayer

Be one, so that the world may believe!           Amen.

Abide in his love!                Amen.

Go into the world and bear the fruits of this love.      Amen.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and all peace in faith, so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.       Amen.

The Church’s One Foundation 

Is Jesus Christ the Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA-JXeHDRDw

 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 17, 2021

 

One of the greatest Americans, Martin Luther King Jr. had a DREAM, a dream of unity, equality and justice that includes and embraces the dignity of all peoples.  As a Christian minister, he lived, wrote and spoke Jesus’ Gospel Message:

‘Let us Love one Another’

As Americans, we join together to celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his life’s message by continuing to serve one another and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We continue to unite and treat all with equality and justice.  Let us too renew our commitment to live the Gospel of Jesus and love one another without distinction.

Building The Beloved Community

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived his life serving others. Following his example, millions of Americans serve on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. At our children’s schools, at a local shelter, or lending a hand to help our neighbors – we bring to life his vision of neighbors working together to build a better future.

"We may have all come on different ships, 

but we're in the same boat now."

MLK 

Scott Barbour/Getty Images News/Getty Image

Whether you subscribe to "love thy neighbor" or "the sisterhood of motherhood," Dr. King’s words offer a prescription for empathy, 

encouraging us to walk a mile in another person’s shoes, 

no matter where you and your family are from.

How will we respond to this challenge in our country today?