We are right in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs from January 18th – 25th. The week was initiated in 1908 by Fr. Paul Wattson, an Anglican priest (later Catholic), who chose these dates because they symbolically link January 18 (the original date) – the Chair of St. Peter, and January 25 – the Conversion of St. Paul. In the 1930s, the initiative broadened through the work of Abbé Paul Couturier, a French Catholic priest, who encouraged prayer for unity as God wills it, not for one group to absorb another. Abbé Paul said, “The unity of Christians is not something we create; it is something we receive.” This quote captures the heart of the week: unity as God’s gift, not human achievement.
I was invited to speak at an Ecumenical Taizé Prayer Service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Plainview, NY. This led me to do some research, during which I watched an interview with Jimmy Kimmel and Johnathan Roumie from The Chosen. Two of the things that resonated with me are: We need to remember that “we are ALL walking each other home,” and “Church isn’t a building, it’s people showing up at the right time.”
The Week of Christian Unity is a reminder that unity is not uniformity, but a shared commitment to Christ, lived through prayer, humility, and love. It made me wonder how I reflect Jesus to all those I meet. Is my faith life centered on promoting me or Jesus? I can only judge myself, and there are times when the reflection can be very dim. Jesus has prayed “That they may all be one…so that the world may believe” (John 17:21). I genuinely need to be an authentic witness and live a life worthy of the Gospel. How does this happen? Through prayer, dialogue, and cooperation among Christians rather than competition or hostility.
How do I work towards unity? Am I inclusive and welcoming to all? Do I invite people to develop their relationship with God? Do I believe that unity does not exclude diversity? Is your New Year’s resolution helping you ‘walk others home’? Take some time to reflect on these thoughts and the upcoming feast days; both are powerful. We are all tasked to help build up the Kingdom of God where we are.
Till next week,
Sister Theresita
