The Middle East Council of Churches Joins His Holiness Pope Francis in Prayer
On the Intention of the Synod’s 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Catholic Church
And celebrates the Feast of Saint Thecla
In preparation for the Synod’s 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Catholic Church, which will be held between 4 and 29 October 2023 in the Vatican, His Holiness Pope Francis calls for an Ecumenical Prayer service, which he will preside over, on Saturday 30 September 2023, in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, on the intention of this General Assembly’s work. His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will participate in the Prayer, along with a group of Church Leaders and believers from various Church Families.
In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) joins His Holiness Pope Francis in Praying on the intention of the Synod, as the Council’s General Secretariat team held a Prayer service, on Thursday 28 September 2023, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.
During the Prayer, the MECC team raised their supplications to our Lord Jesus Christ so that he might inspire, with the power of his Holy Spirit, the participants in the Synod’s 16th General Assembly. Moreover, the worshipers celebrated together the Feast of Saint Thecla, Protomartyr and Equal of the Apostles, which falls on 24 September 2023.
The Prayer included a reading of a summary of the life of Saint Thecla, a recitation of Prayers and Troparions for the Saint, in addition to a reading from the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans (8: 31-39). The participants also recited the Synod Prayer for a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.
Hence, let us recite together with one heart and a humble spirit the Synod prayer, saying:
“We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.
Amen.”
