These two days, the Confession of Peter and the Conversion of Paul, bracket the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. As Paul’s conversion reminds us that we are united in a call to proclaim Jesus among the nations, so Peter’s confession reminds us that we are united in proclaiming the divine revelation of Jesus Christ ‘the Son of the living God’.
Collect
Almighty God,
who inspired your apostle Peter
to confess Jesus as Christ
and Son of the living God:
build up your Church upon this rock,
that in unity and peace
it may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord,
your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
18 January
Amy Carmichael
Founder of the Dohnavur Fellowship, Spiritual Writer
England: Commemoration
Amy Carmichael was born on 16 December 1867 into a Presbyterian family in County Down in Ireland. In her late teens she moved to Belfast, where she began a Sunday morning class for girls who worked in the mills. She went on to similar work in Manchester, England, before feeling called to work in other parts of the world. Her health was poor, however, and so her wishes were frustrated for some years. Eventually she worked in Japan, and then in India, settling in Dohnavur in Tamil Nadur in 1900. There she founded a fellowship dedicated to giving a loving home to destitute children. She was particularly concerned with young girls who were in danger of being pushed into prostitution, and would travel long distances to rescue a child. Out of respect for the local culture, she always wore Indian dress. She wrote many books about her work and on spiritual themes, and founded the Sisters of the Common Life in 1916 as a spiritual support group. Her work continued after her death and has brought hope and stability to many distressed children. Although an invalid for much of her later years, she remained in India for the rest of her life, dying on this day in 1951.
18–25 January
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Church Union Octave of prayer for Christian unity was first kept in 1908, beginning on the feast of the Chair of St Peter at Rome. It was instituted by a group of Anglican High Churchmen who, throughout the week, celebrated the Eucharist each day for the visible reunion of the Church, seeing Rome as the central See of Christendom. Their prayers reached a climax with the celebration of the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, on 25 January 1908.
From that beginning, the observance of the Week of Prayer has grown as the ecumenical movement grew through the twentieth century. It is now widely kept throughout the Church, with Christians of all denominations coming together to pray that, as our Lord prayed, we might all be one.
19 January
Wulfstan
White
Bishop of Worcester
England: Lesser Festival
Born in about the year 1009, Wulfstan’s first twenty-five years after his ordination was spent in the monastery at Worcester. Against his will, he was elected Bishop of Worcester in 1062 but went on to prove an able administrator and pastor. He carefully and gently nurtured both church and state through the transition from Saxon to Norman rule. He died at Worcester on this day in the year 1095.
Collect
Lord God,
who raised up Wulfstan to be a bishop among your people
and a leader of your Church:
help us, after his example,
to live simply,
to work diligently
and to make your kingdom known;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the First Book of Samuel.
The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’
6 When Jesse and his sons came, Samuel looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’
Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
This is the word of the Lord.
1 Samuel 16.1, 6–13
Responsorial Psalm
R: Blessed is the servant of the Lord,
[the one who is faithful and wise].
The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.’
May the Lord stretch forth the sceptre of your power;
rule from Zion in the midst of your enemies. R
‘Noble are you on this day of your birth;
on the holy mountain, from the womb of the dawn
the dew of your new birth is upon you.’ R
The Lord has sworn and will not retract:
‘You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’
The king at your right hand, O Lord,
shall smite down kings in the day of his wrath.
In all his majesty, he shall judge among the nations. R
From Psalm 110
A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.
This is the word of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4.1–5
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Keep awake therefore,