Tomorrow begins the Octave of Christian Unity, a week (January 18-January 25) of prayer set aside each year for the faithful to pray and work for Christian unity. The biblical text for this year’s observation is:

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters… Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5: 12a, 13b-18

Spread the word, and pray hard. If you teach CCE, RCIA, lead a Bible study, or something along those lines, you might be interested in the resources for this coming week on the Vatican website here.

I happen to like the chaplet of unity as a prayer for this week. I am also happy to send my scriptural rosary (or really meditations using a rosary) on church unity to anyone who would like them. Just send a request to redneckwomandesigns at Yahoo dot com. 

I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. John 17:20-23