OCTAVE FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY Lectionary #867

“In order to unite with one another, we must love one another; in order to love one another, we must know one another; in order to know one another, we must go and meet one another..” These words, known as the "Testament of Cardinal Mercier," are the impetus for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The week (actually an octave, eight days) has been celebrated continuously since 1894, though not always in January. In 1894 and 1895, an octave for unity, beginning on Ascension Day and concluding on Pentecost, was observed by the Church of England. In 1895, the Roman Catholic Church joined their Anglican neighbors in this observance in obedience to a worldwide request of Pope Leo XIII. In 1897, in the encyclical Divinum illud munus , Leo XIII established this novena in perpetuity, but it was not until 1908 that the octave was observed on the January dates with which it is commonly associated, beginning on the former date for the feast of the Confession (or Chair) of St. Peter and ending on the Feast of the Conversion St. Paul.

Because January 18 is a weekday in Ordinary Time, other readings than those assigned to the weekday might appropriately be chosen from the readings for the Unity of Christians (Lectionary #867-871) to begin the week of prayer for Christian unity.

Suggested Psalm for Christian Unity Ps (121) 122 (869-5)

One of the “songs of ascent,” this psalm was prayed by pilgrims as they approach Jerusalem , going up the hill of the Temple Mount . Their prayer was for peace in this city that had known such division (and still does).

Con Qué Alegría/Let Us Go Rejoicing (Cortés) FYC 263/JS 102

I Rejoiced (Dean) GP 268

I Rejoiced ( Walker ) GP 269

I Rejoiced When I Heard (Batastini/Gelineau) RS 165

I Rejoiced When I Heard Them Say (O'Carroll) CH 159

I Rejoiced When I Heard Them Say (Warner) WC 416

I Was Glad (Haas) GC 121/RS 166

I Was Glad When They Said to Me (chant) BFW 12, 270, 406

Let Us Go Rejoicing (Harbor) LMGM 542

Let Us Go Rejoicing (Hurd) JS 101

Let Us Go Rejoicing (Joncas) GC 120/RS 167

Qué Alegría Cuando Me Dijeron (Grajeda) FYC 262

Qué Alegría Cuando Me Dijeron (Manzano) GP 270

Qué Alegría/I Rejoiced (Cortez) FYC 261

We Shall Go Up with Joy (Murray/Gelineau) CBW III 588/WOR 67

or Ps (99) 100 (Lect. #869-3)

Another “song of ascent,” this pilgrimage hymn invites all creation to join in the praise of God.

Aclamamos al Señor (Reza) GP 247

Arise, Come to Your God (Gelineau) GC 96/RS 139/WOR 53

Let All the Earth Cry Out (Sommerville) WC 406

Nosotros Somos Su Pueblo/We Are God's People (Cortez) FYC 243

Somos Su Pueblo y Ovejas (Montgomery) FYC 244

Somos Su Pueblo y Ovejas (Sosa) FYC 245

We Are God's People (Haas) GC 97/RS 138

We Are God's People (Harbor) LM 536

We Are God's People (Smith) GP 246

We Are His People (Jordan) LM 537

We Are His People (LeBlanc) CH 151

We Are His People (O'Carroll) CH 150

Songs for Unity

All Are Welcome (Haugen) GC 753/WC 861

Anthem (Conry) GC 690/GP 578/JS 614

As a Fire Is Meant for Burning (Duck) GC 663/RS 779

As the Grains of Wheat (Haugen) GC 825

At That First Eucharist CH 366/GC 852/GP 511/LM 134/WC 622/WOR 733

Beloved, Let Us Love (Bonar) WOR 601

Bread for the Word (Farrell) GC 827

Bread of Life, Hope of the World (Farrell) GC 821

Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation CH 540/GC 662/JS 409/RS 778/WC 749/WOR 617

Christ's Church Shall Glory (Idle/Luther) CH 487/WOR 616

Companions on the Journey (Landry) GP 566

Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race (Duck) GC 739/RS 837

Father, We Thank Thee Who Has Planted CH 374/GC 568/RS 705/WC 621/WOR 558

For the Healing of the Nations (Kaan) GC 719/WC 913/WOR 643

From East and West (Dufford) GP 567

Gather Us In (Haugen) GC 744/RS 850/WC 860/WOR 665

Gather Us Together (Alstott) GP 534/JS 488

I Am the Vine (Hurd) GC 672

In Christ There Is a Table Set for All (Stamps) GC 749/WC 761

In Christ There Is No East or West CH 650/GC 738/GP 565/JS 443/LM 301/RS 836/WC 761/WOR 659

In My Name CH 477

Let Us Break Bread Together GC 832/LM 135/RS 911/WC 649/WOR 727

Let Us Praise God Together CH 569

Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace CH 612/WC 762/WOR 602

Lord, You Give the Great Commission CH 639/GC 456/JS 381/RS 607/WC 746/WOR 470

Make Us One (Marchionda) WC 765

O Christ the Great Foundation (Lew/Aurelia) RS 782/WOR 618

O Christ the Great Foundation (Lew/Abreu) RS 781

One Bread, One Body (Foley) GC 830/GP 499/JS 668/LM 139/RS 915/WC 640

One Is the Body (Cooney) GC 846

One Spirit, One Church (Quinlivan/Keil) GP 570/JS 703

The Church's One Foundation CH 489/GC 661/JS 455/WC 747

There Comes a Time (Jabusch/Kreutz) CH 491

There Is a Prayer (Wright/Kreutz) CH 494

There Is One Lord (Alstott) JS 428

There Is One Lord (Deiss) WC 599

There Is One Lord (Taizé) GC 809/RS 835/WOR 657

They'll Know We Are Christians (Scholtes) GC 735/GP 568/JS 580/WC 764

Trilingual Ubi Caritas (Chant/Aranda) WC 810

Ubi Caritas (Rosania) GP 364

Ubi Caritas et Amor (Chant) CH 386/GC 631/RS 752/WC 815/WOR 598

Ubi Caritas et Amor (Taizé) GC 408/WC 807/WOR 604

We Are Many Parts (Haugen) GC 733/RS 840/WC 763

Where Charity and Love Prevail CH 387/GC 625/GP 644/JS 429/RS 747/WC 808