B
bpbasilphx
Guest
On the feast of Ascension 2007, the Moscow Patriarchate and Russian Church Outside Russia were reconciled after decades of estrangement.
After signing the document of communion, Patriarch Alexei and Metropolitan Laurus read a prayer which contained the following moving words:
“As Thou didst lift Thy
prayers to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy disciples, that they all be as one,
gaze now with Thy merciful eyes upon Thy people who have sinned and
disobeyed Thy will, bless now our good intention and the unification of
the Church to Thy Glory; create this Thyself, remove all church temptations
and divisions. Having given to us Thy law to love Thee, our God,
and our neighbor, deliver us from all insult and disruption, may brotherly
love reign among the children of our Church, in the Homeland and in
the diaspora. Grant that we may now enter Thy temple and offer Thy
bloodless sacrifice, that we may be unified in one body through communion
with Thy Life-creating Body and Thy Honorable Blood and bring
praise with all our hearts to Thine ineffable love for mankind.”
Let us pray that similar words will be offered jointly by both the Oriental and Eastern Orthdox–and by the Pope and leaders of the other Apostolic Churches.
After signing the document of communion, Patriarch Alexei and Metropolitan Laurus read a prayer which contained the following moving words:
“As Thou didst lift Thy
prayers to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy disciples, that they all be as one,
gaze now with Thy merciful eyes upon Thy people who have sinned and
disobeyed Thy will, bless now our good intention and the unification of
the Church to Thy Glory; create this Thyself, remove all church temptations
and divisions. Having given to us Thy law to love Thee, our God,
and our neighbor, deliver us from all insult and disruption, may brotherly
love reign among the children of our Church, in the Homeland and in
the diaspora. Grant that we may now enter Thy temple and offer Thy
bloodless sacrifice, that we may be unified in one body through communion
with Thy Life-creating Body and Thy Honorable Blood and bring
praise with all our hearts to Thine ineffable love for mankind.”
Let us pray that similar words will be offered jointly by both the Oriental and Eastern Orthdox–and by the Pope and leaders of the other Apostolic Churches.