Every year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe.” Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services. The event that touches this off is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18-25 January, concluding on the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. To prepare for the annual celebration, ecumenical partners in a particular region (this year, Brazil) are invited to produce a basic liturgical text on a biblical theme. Then an international editorial team of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity refines this text to ensure that it can be prayed throughout the world, and to link it with the search for the visible unity of the church.

This year, the Brazilian Church has invited us to reflect on the conversation between Jesus and the “woman at the well.” (John 4:1-42) This encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman invites us to try water from a different well, and also to offer a little of our own. In diversity, we enrich each other. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a privileged moment for prayer, encounter and dialogue. It is an opportunity to recognize the richness and value that are present in the other, in those who are different, and to ask God for the gift of unity.

“Whoever drinks of this water keeps coming back,” says a Brazilian proverb. A refreshing glass of water, coffee, or tea are trademarks of acceptance, dialogue and coexistence: the biblical gesture of offering water to anyone who arrives, as a way of welcoming and sharing, is a universal gesture of hospitality. The image emerging from the words “give me to drink” speaks of complementarity: to drink from someone else’s well is the first step towards experiencing another’s way of being. This leads to an exchange of gifts that enriches. When the gifts of others are refused, much damage is done to society, and to the Church.

Jesus is a foreigner who arrives tired and thirsty. He needs help and asks for water. The woman is in her own land; the well belongs to her people. She owns the bucket and has access to the water. But she is also thirsty. They meet and that encounter offers an unexpected opportunity for both of them. “Give me to drink” presupposes that both ask for what they need from each other. It compels us to recognize that persons, communities, cultures, and religions need each other. Differences compel us to change our attitude, to commit ourselves to seek unity in the midst of our diversity, to be open to a variety of forms of prayer and Christian spirituality.

This weekend, we welcome back to our pulpit Pastor Brent Walker, who will preach the homily at all Masses, and introduce the Bible study he will be leading over the next four Wednesdays on the spirituality of the sacraments. Thank you, Pastor Brent!