Diocese of Oxford

Week of prayer for Christian Unity

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024 – You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself

Reflections on the story of the Good Samaritan have been prepared by an ecumenical team in Burkina Faso in Africa for use from 18 to 25 January.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) takes place each year from the 18 to 25 January. This special week provides an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity, as well as speak about and experience Christian unity personally, in our village, town or county as well as engage with what happens at a national level.
This year the theme ‘You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself’ (Lk 10:27) has come from an ecumenical team from Burkina Faso, facilitated by the local Chemin Neuf Community (CCN). They have reflected on the familiar story of the Good Samaritan, and all are encouraged to Go and do likewise.  It is a story about crossing boundaries that calls our attention to the bonds that unite the whole human family. Brothers and sisters from the Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, Protestant Churches, ecumenical bodies and the CCN in Burkina Faso collaborated generously in drafting the prayers and reflections.