"Celebrating Unity: A Week of Prayer for Christian Togetherness"
Each January, Christians around the world come together for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Running from January 18–25, this week is a powerful call to reflect on the unity that Christ envisioned for His followers. This year’s theme, inspired by John 11:26—“Do you believe this?”—invites us to deepen our faith and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one body in Christ.
A Legacy of Unity
The 2025 observance marks a significant milestone: the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. This council was pivotal in defining core Christian beliefs, like the divinity of Christ, expressed in the Nicene Creed—a unifying thread for many denominations. This week reminds us of our shared history and the ongoing call to bridge divisions among traditions.
Daily Reflections: A Path to Oneness
The week features daily prayers, scripture readings, and reflections drawn from the early church fathers and different Christian traditions. These reflections offer profound insights into themes like God’s creation, the incarnation of Christ, and the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. Each day provides an opportunity to pray for unity across the global Christian community.
Witnessing Unity in Action
Throughout the week, testimonies from Christians of various traditions bring to life the beauty of ecumenical fellowship:
Alex Kilpatrick: A Catholic who discovered the joy of a personal relationship with Christ through friendships with Protestant and Baptist students in his university Christian outreach group.
Sue Heuver: A Reformed Christian whose friendships with Catholics and Orthodox Christians deepened her faith, showing her the beauty of shared prayer, scripture study, and service.
Alain Dibo: A Lebanese Orthodox Christian who rediscovered the richness of his tradition through a Catholic community and now bridges both worlds in prayer and worship.
Emilio Rivera: An Evangelical Christian from Costa Rica who learned to appreciate Catholic practices through ecumenical worship and now prays and works for unity within his Pentecostal church.
Stacey Barajas: A Catholic from an ecumenical community in Michigan who values the cultural and spiritual richness of unity across Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic traditions in her personal and professional life.
Esteban López: An Evangelical Pentecostal from Costa Rica whose ecumenical experiences showed him that the Spirit unites Christians across denominations, inspiring him to embrace unity in diversity.
Pili Galvan: A Roman Catholic from Mexico who, through her marriage to a Melkite Catholic from Lebanon, learned to appreciate the depth of both Eastern and Western traditions, united by their common faith.ust an abstract goal but a lived experience of love, mutual respect, and shared mission.
A Call to Action
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity challenges us to actively seek reconciliation and collaboration across denominational lines. As Manny de Los Santos, International President of the Sword of the Spirit, urges, "May our observance of this week lead us to that unity for which Jesus prayed."
This week is an invitation—not just to pray, but to act. Whether through shared worship, studying scripture together, or serving our communities, we can embody Christ’s prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:21).
Let us take this time to reflect, pray, and work towards a deeper unity, embracing the richness of our diverse traditions while standing firm in the truth of the Gospel. Together, we can be a sign of hope for the world.
To read more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, view our full PDF at the link below.
