Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

During the Last Supper, our Lord prayed for the unity of his followers: “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21). The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18th through 25th) was started with the intention of joining Christians together in echoing Christ’s prayer that his followers might be one. Over the course of the centuries, major divisions have developed among the Christian faithful, dividing Roman Catholics from the Orthodox Churches, and later, Protestants from Catholics.

In 1908, an Anglican-Franciscan community founded by Mother Lurana White and Fr. Paul Watson first began the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. They called their young community the “Society of the Atonement,” hearing the word "atonement" in its three parts: at-one-ment, making again one. As St. Paul wrote: “you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The following year, in 1909, their community was welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church as a fruit of their prayers. The Week of Prayer received the blessing of Pope St. Pius X and was later promoted by Pope Benedict XV, who encouraged its celebration throughout the Catholic Church.

As we begin our celebrations of the Jubilee Year, it is especially notable that Easter this year will be celebrated by Christians of both the East and West—Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox alike—on the same date, April 20th. In September, Pope Francis called this shared Easter date an "important sign" and an opportunity that "must not be allowed to pass by in vain." Speaking on the topic of a common date for Easter’s celebration, Pope Francis urged ecumenical unity, stating: “I encourage those who are committed to this journey to persevere, and to make every effort in the search for a shared agreement…”

After Mass, prayer cards and daily Scripture readings will be distributed for personal use in the home during the Week of Prayer. This is also an opportune time to practice Christian unity by participating in one of the many ecumenical services throughout the area for Rev. Martin Luther King Day celebrations.

Our own Saint Marianne Cope was notable for her ecumenical efforts, ensuring that her Syracuse and Utica hospitals explicitly welcomed patients of all faiths and denominations. In Hawaii, she and her Sisters worked cooperatively with Christians of other traditions in caring for those afflicted with Hansen’s Disease. Reflecting on this ecumenical cooperation, she wrote: “The charity of the good knows no creed and is confined to no one place.”

More information on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can be found at:

https://www.atonementfriars.org/ecumenical-interfaith-dialogue/#UnityPrayer

-Brother Kevin Elphick