Scripture
“I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel” (Jer 31:31-34).
“Because you have hidden these things…” (Mt 11:25-30).
Meditation
We do not know what the wise men thought — they who were experts in astronomy and navigation — when they were warned to return by another road. They may well have been very confused, but the same light that illumined their journey showed them that there was another road, another possibility. They were called to change direction.
God’s divine providence is always there to show us that there is another way prepared for us. God is there to renew his covenant and lift us up from the frustration we experience when we meet an obstacle. A fresh start is always possible when we are willing and open to the work of the Spirit.
On the old familiar roads, Christian communities have walked apart from one another. On the new roads to which God calls us, Christians walk together and become pilgrim companions.
Prayer
Gracious God, when we think that all roads are blocked, and we fall into despair, we always find you there. We find you creating a new path before us, one that we did not expect. We thank you because your creative paths open up unforeseen possibilities. Help us to always find you, who lead us yet by a more excellent way. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, that you will always lead us back to you. Amen.
Drawn from the resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the website of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute.