Today, 30 November, is Fr Gerry Reynolds’ (1935-2015) fourth anniversary.
Fr Gerry was one of the pioneers of Irish ecumenism. I was honoured to write his biography, which was published earlier this year.
One of his inspirations was the French priest Fr Paul Couturier (1891-1953), who helped establish the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
One of Fr Gerry’s favourite prayers was Couturier’s prayer for Christian Unity, which he translated himself from the French. In honour of Gerry’s anniversary, I’ve reproduced the translation below.
For the unity of Christ’s disciples in his Body, the Church
Lord Jesus, who on the eve of your death, prayed that all your disciples might be one, as you in the Father and the Father in you, make us feel intense sorrow over the infidelity of our disunity.
Give us the honesty to recognize, and the courage to reject, whatever indifference towards one another, or mutual distrust, or even enmity, lie hidden within us.
Enable us to meet one another in you. And let your prayer for the unity of Christians, be ever in our hearts and on our lips, unity such as you desire and by the means that you will.
Make us find the way that leads to unity in you, who are perfect charity, through being obedient to the Spirit of love and truth. Amen.