The artist, Hui-Wen HSAIO, used several motifs that highlight Taiwan’s best-known features to express how the Christian faith brings peace and a new vision to Taiwan.
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement that invites people of different cultures and Christian religious traditions to unite in spirit on a common day of prayer each year. This service is usually celebrated on the first Friday of March.
A different country writes the service each year and transmits it globally. This year, the theme, ‘I Have Heard About Your Faith’, based on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:15 - 19 has been prepared by a group of Taiwanese women. They also composed the music to accompany St. Paul’s message:
I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
I have heard about your love towards all the saints
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
And remembering you in my prayers.
Music © Lai, Yin-ting for WDP 2023
The service opens with the greeting: “Pîng-an.” “May God grant you peace, a peaceful relationship with God and with one another”. The welcome follows: “On behalf of the sisters in Taiwan, we would like to welcome all of you to join us today in worship. Through this celebration, we would like to share our experiences with you, and witness God’s wonderful grace and mighty works.”
The Sisters of St. Joseph are included with the United, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic Churches in the North Central area of London. Each church has a small planning group, and I am the representative for the Sisters. The area churches take turns hosting the worship service and this year, The Sisters of St. Joseph are the hosts. Due to Covid restrictions, the service will be held virtually. This is unfortunate because it is more meaningful to gather and pray together to fulfill the spirit of the movement.
It has been inspirational for me to participate with the various church groups, preparing and leading those from the area who gather in the host church for the prayer service. It has given me the opportunity to meet and share with women from different church congregations. Hearing about the history, geography, and the customs of the people of the various countries has been a meaningful experience.
Uniting in prayer and spirit through the World Day of Prayer has the potential to change the lives of women and children. The movement’s 100 years of global prayer cannot go unnoticed!
-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ