January 25th is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. What does one have to do with the other?

01-20-2019Why do we do that?

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity consists of eight days beginning Jan 18, the feast of the Chair of Peter, and ending on Jan 25, the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. The Franciscan Friars at the Atonement, founded in the early 20th Century in Graymoor, New York, sought to promote unity among Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Paul James Wattson, a former Episcopalian priest, founded the community, which was formally accepted into the Catholic Communion.

The idea for Christian unity soon began to catch on, and by the 1930's, more and more Christians welcomed such a focus. Suggestions for prayer and education are distributed each year, emphasizing a jointly chosen theme. The 1964 Vatican II document on ecumenism, Unitas Redintegratio, gave a great boost to the octave so that today many Christians worldwide promote and participate in the octave time of prayer.

The emphasis on both Peter and Paul aptly into the rationale of the octave. Peter is seen as the source of unity within the Christian tradition. Paul is highlighted due to his vision of bringing all to Christ. The week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an ideal opportunity to pray for and promote respect, understanding, and hopefully eventual unity among Christians.

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