As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity draws to a close, Pope Francis reflects on the “indispensable unity” that comes from remaining in Jesus, in a homily read by Cardinal Kurt Koch.
By Christopher Wells
On Monday, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, an ecumenical Vespers service concluded the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The annual event took place, as usual, in the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, where the great Apostle is buried. This year, however, Pope Francis, who will normally preside over the liturgy, was unable to attend due to a painful sciatica attack. In his place, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, led the evening prayer service, accompanied by leaders from various other Christian churches and ecclesial communities.
Although physically absent, Pope Francis was present in spirit and word, in a homily read by Cardinal Koch. In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis reflects on the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John: “Remain in me,” the theme of this year’s Week of Prayer. Starting with the image of the calf and the branches, the Pope insists that “we can grow and bear fruit only if we remain united with Jesus.”
Three levels of unity
The Holy Father continues to regard “this indispensable unity” as consisting of three concentric rings “like those of a tree trunk.”
The first level of the unit is remaining in Jesus, “The starting point of each person’s journey to the unit.” Staying with Jesus begins with prayer, which allows us to experience His love. “This is the first unity,” says the Pope, “of our personal integrity, the work of grace which we receive remaining in Jesus.”
The unity of Christians is the second ring. “We are all branches of the same vine,” says the Pope, noting that what everyone does affects everyone else. Here again, prayer is essential, leading us to love one another. This is not easy, the Pope acknowledges, which is why we must ask God “to break down our prejudices against others and the worldly attachments that prevent full unity with all his children.”
The largest circle extends to the whole of humanity; and here, says Pope Francis, “we can reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit leads us to love not only those who love us, “but to love all, as Jesus taught us.” Like the good Samaritan, we are called to be neighbors to all, to love even those who do not love us in return.
The concreteness of love
Joining together to serve others can help us “realize once again that we are brothers and sisters” and can cause us to “grow in unity.” Likewise, the Holy Spirit can inspire us to “take care of our common home, to make bold choices” about how we live our lives.
Pope Francis concludes his homily by noting that the Holy Spirit, “the architect of the ecumenical journey,” inspired the common prayer in St. Paul’s Basilica. He expressed his gratitude to “all those who, during this week, have prayed and continue to pray for Christian unity,” and welcomed the representatives of the Churches and ecclesial communities who took part in the ceremony, either in person or practically due to the pandemic.
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us remain united in Christ,” Pope Francis concludes, praying, “May the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts make us feel that we are children of the Father, brothers and sisters to one another, brothers and sisters.” and the sisters in our only human family.
“May the Holy Trinity, the communion of love, make us grow in unity.”