A day for Christians of East and West to pray with and for each other

The annual International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians will take place on 5 May. Now in its sixth year, the day is observed on the Sixth Sunday of Easter to enable Eastern and Western Christians to come together in communion through prayer during Easter, drawing the participation of Christians from all over Europe, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, India and Ukraine.

Founded and organised in Great Britain by the British charity Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE Charity), it offers Western Christians an opportunity to give thanks to God for all that we owe the Eastern Churches: the first preaching of the Gospel, the origins of the monastic tradition, the early Church Fathers, and, above all, the witness of the Eastern Christians down the centuries which has been, and still is, an inspiration to our faith.

It is fitting to remember the contribution of Eastern Christians in Easter because Sunday after Sunday during the Easter celebrations, Eastern and Western Christians hear the Acts of the Apostles which witness to the first preaching of the Gospel. These readings remind us of the origin of the Eastern Churches and the history of the first Eastern Christians, who brought the Gospel to us. Nowadays, many of these Eastern Christians are oppressed and persecuted, and struggle to survive and pass on the faith to their children in their homelands where Christianity was born and first spread.

So, during the season of Easter, when we come to rejoice with renewed faith in the power of the Risen Lord, the Day of Prayer offers an occasion to focus on Eastern Christians, many of whom are suffering from the effects of war and discrimination, especially those in Gaza and Ukraine who are dispossessed and displaced, and to pray that the joy and blessings of Easter will fill their hearts with hope, so that together we may all come to rejoice with renewed faith in the power of the Risen Lord.

This year, for the first time, FACE Charity has written a prayer in Arabic which will be shared by the Eastern Catholic Churches across the Middle East on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, enabling those Eastern Christians to pray for their brothers and sisters in the West who together with them form one community in Christ and whose charity and solidarity give them so much comfort and strength.

For Catholics in Great Britain, FACE Charity has written a bidding prayer (in a long version and a short version) asking that we Western Christians may be inspired by their devotion and witness to the Gospel, by their love and compassion for all in their communities, and by their courage and endurance in the face of injustice and oppression.

The Eastern Christians in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa today are direct descendants of the Early Christians and trace their roots back to apostolic times. There are more than 25 million Eastern Christians living across the Middle East. For Western Christians, they provide a direct link to the Apostolic Church, leading us to the roots of Christianity and showing us, through their tradition and witness, a living faith in Christ. 

They are a diminishing presence in the Middle East. Maintaining their presence in those lands is essential for stability in the wider region, as well as for guaranteeing Western Christians an unbroken heritage and tradition from the source of their faith. FACE Charity devotes itself exclusively to supporting the Eastern Catholic Churches in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and India, through projects in education, healthcare, pastoral support and inter-religious dialogue.

Communion in prayer leads to solidarity, so it is hoped that the Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians will be observed in parishes throughout Great Britain on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, and that an opportunity will be given to the faithful not only to pray in union with these Christians but also to show their solidarity with them through a collection in aid of charitable projects under the patronage of the Eastern Catholic Churches. 

Eastern Christians’ prayer for Western Christians

Heavenly Father, we pray for peace and an end to war, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine, and in all places where there is conflict, so that the peace of the Kingdom may encompass the world and deliver the power of Divine love.

Lord hear our prayer

We pray for our brothers and sisters in the West who together with us form one community in Christ and whose charity and solidarity give us comfort and strength. Grant them Your blessings of peace and prosperity, so that they may uphold truth and justice and the freedoms of human rights, equality and democracy, to which we all aspire.

Lord hear our prayer

Lord, fill us with hope, so that we remain Your faithful witnesses in these troubled times of instability, inequality and oppression; and help us and our people to cleanse our society from corruption, avarice and injustice, so that the poverty and suffering of our people may be overcome.

Lord hear our prayer

Grant that we, in bearing witness to You, Almighty God, may strive to be humble and loving servants to all in our society, especially to those who call on us in their need; so that the Gospel message of fraternity, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace may prevail in our troubled world.

Lord hear our prayer

Prayer for Eastern Christians to include in bidding prayers

We pray for peace in the world, especially in the Palestinian territories and Ukraine, and in all places where there is conflict. May the Christians in these lands be strengthened in their faith so that they may continue steadfastly to give witness to Jesus Christ.

John Adam Fox is the founder and chairman of Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE).

There is more information on the FACE website, along with the longer form of the prayer and a poster and leaflet for parish use, as well as information on donating to the charity’s work.