This Thursday, January 18th, we begin the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. During this week, our bishops ask us to unite in prayer with our Christian brothers and sisters.
We are invited to pray for peace in our world, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. In addition, we are invited to pray in support of the inherent value of all human life.
Our Holy Father Pope Francis spoke of the bond of unity and sharing that should mark the lives of all Christians as we strive to spread our faith. As mentioned in the past, he has issued a call for unity, stating, “If we do not walk together, if we do not pray for one another, if we do not collaborate in the many ways we can in this world, for the people of God, then unity will not come about.” Pope Francis has also called on us to be announcers of the Gospel as we embrace the call for unity.
Unity was also an important part of the message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he sought to unite all people through a message of love. This Monday, January 15th, our nation celebrates the legacy of Dr. King. We honor him for his work in promoting the fundamental dignity of the human person regardless of skin color. In addition, we acknowledge the crucial role he played as he humbly responded in faith and worked tirelessly to lead the struggle for civil rights in this country. He focused on a message of love, stating, “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”
Dr. King also stated, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.”
In honoring the legacy of Dr. King, we recognize the great strides that our country has made in overcoming the racial injustices of the past as many hearts and minds have been changed. We also realize that much still needs to be done to heal the wounds and divisions that continue to exist. Much still needs to be done to enhance the dignity of the human person and foster a true sense of unity.
As we reflect on the profound words of Pope Francis and Dr. King, and as we continue in this New Year, we are invited to pray that hearts and minds will continue to be changed and that a true sense of harmony and unity will be embraced.