Praying for Christian Unity

This week, the Church enters a sacred rhythm shared across the world: the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It’s a tradition with deep roots, stretching back nearly two centuries and one that has been strengthened by the encouragement of popes, theologians, and ordinary believers who long for the unity Christ prayed for at the Last Supper.

A century ago, the first “Suggestions for the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity” were published, planting seeds that have grown into the global observance we honor today. What began as a small, hopeful initiative has become a yearly reminder that division is not our destiny. Unity is.

This year’s theme comes from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (4:4).

It’s a line that feels especially urgent now. One body. One Spirit. One hope. Not many competing hopes, not fractured identities, not isolated communities but a shared calling rooted in Christ.

The prayers and reflections for this year were prepared by an ecumenical group coordinated by the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Department of Interchurch Relations, a beautiful reminder that unity is not something we talk about from afar. It is something we build together, across traditions, histories, and cultures.

Pope Francis invites all Catholic communities to deepen their prayer for the full, visible unity of all Christians during these days. Not a vague sense of goodwill, but a real, lived communion that reflects the heart of the Gospel.

Perhaps this week is an invitation to pause and ask:
Where do I see division?
Where do I contribute to it?
And how might Christ be calling me—quietly, persistently—toward the hope of unity?

May our prayer this week be simple and sincere: Lord, make us one in You.