Every year, Christians from throughout the world have the opportunity to spend eight days prayerfully reflecting on Christ’s call “That all may be one.” (John 17: 21)
During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, Christians are encouraged to join together to pray for reconciliation and the strengthening of unity in the Church by reflecting on the Scriptures, participating in ecumenical services and sharing fellowship. The day the observance concludes, Jan. 25, is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
The theme for the 2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit,” taken from the Gospel of John 15: 1-17, draws on the image of vine and branches, asking Christians to nourish their unity with God and with one another through contemplative silence, prayer and common action.
The weeklong observance is an opportunity for Christians to see that the closer they draw to Christ, the closer they will be to one another, according to materials published by the Vatican.
“Divisions among Christians – moving away from one another – are a scandal because it is also moving further away from God,” the materials read. “Christ’s prayer for unity is an invitation to turn back to him and so come closer to one another, rejoicing in the richness of our diversity.”
The resource material for the Jan. 18-25 octave of prayer, published on the website of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was prepared by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp, an ecumenical religious community of women based in Switzerland.
To learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and its 113-year history, visit https://trentonmonitor.com/Content/News/Latest-News/Article/Week-of-prayer-focuses-on-reconciliation-among-Christians/4/38/24551