WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY (JANUARY 18-25)
The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “Do you Believe this?” It is a quote from the Gospel of John (11:25-26). What an appropriate question for Christians to contemplate. We share the same faith in Jesus Christ and yet, we remain so divided.
In our lives we become siloed, on our own path with blinders on. We move in circles in which we are most comfortable. This is part of being human, but Jesus calls us to a different way of living in the world. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a time to reflect on our unity and diversity. This year celebrates the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council. Christian leaders came together at the Council of Nicea (325) recognizing the division in the Christian community and the need to work for unity. This historic moment wove together the threads of a tapestry of community of faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel that exists today. Despite our divisions, we are blessed to have the beauty of diversity within the unity of the Christian faith. The words of the Creed echo this unity. Each of us can make a point of reaching out to a community, a friend or family member of another Christian tradition to share faith.
This Jubilee Year 2025 and its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” provides a collaborative space for the work that unites Christians. Christian churches in Canada and around the world continue to advocate collaboratively for peace, economic and social justice, sustainability, ecological justice and the eradication of poverty. In the Jubilee 2000, churches were united in promoting the relief of debt for highly indebted poor countries around the world. Their work made an impact, educating people about the need for a new global financial framework and for honouring the tradition of a Jubilee year by giving debt relief.
The Jubilee 2025 provides another opportunity to further the work for justice by Christian organizations. Kairos Canada, Development and Peace (Caritas), Citizens for Public Justice, the Canadian Council of Churches and the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology are working together to develop a campaign to educate about global economic injustice. Caritas International and the Global Ecumenical Jubilee Committee has launched their“Turn Debt into Hope” campaign.
There is so much to celebrate in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025. Do I believe this? When I consider the collaborative work of these Christian organizations, I certainly do! In this reference from the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of being the resurrection and the life. This hope that lies within us unites Christians everywhere. May the work of Caritas and the united Christian organizations be a source of the flame of hope described by Pope Francis. This week of prayer is an invitation to us all to break the bonds of oppression and create a year of jubilee. Can we truly be pilgrims of hope? Do you believe this?
Jan Bentham is a retired Religion Coordinator with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. She is a musician, serving in music ministry at St. Ignatius Parish in Ottawa. She currently works at St. Paul’s University with the Catholic Women’s Leadership Program.
