Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021

Drawing towards the end of the Week of Prayer 2020 in countries celebrating it at Pentecost, the Pontifical Council is now pleased to make available resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021. The theme and texts were chosen and prepared by the Community of Grandchamp in Switzerland, which is a monastic community gathering sisters from different churches and countries. The community was established in the first half of the twentieth century and from its inception had close ties with both the Community of Taizé and Abbe Paul Couturier, a seminal figure in the history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Today there are about fifty sisters in the community, committed to seeking the path of reconciliation between Christians, across the human family, and with respect to the whole of creation.

The theme chosen was “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit” (cf. John 15:5-9). This allowed the sisters to share the experience and wisdom of their contemplative life: abiding in the love of God and being pruned by God’s Word, the vinedresser, in order to grow spiritually. Drawing on an image from the sixth century Palestinian monk, Dorotheus of Gaza, the sisters invite us to understand that as one comes closer to God in the spiritual life one also draws closer to one’s brothers and sisters in Christ and into greater solidarity with the whole of creation. Fidelity to Christ and his call to holiness will always lead us into greater unity. The Pontifical Council hopes that these resources will themselves bear fruit, helping Christians to draw closer to one another.