If you listen carefully to the prayers in today’s Mass, you’ll notice a focus on the Church’s unity. (Actually, you might first notice that they don’t exactly line up with the prayers given in publications like The Word Among Us and Magnificat.) This week each year the Church— along with other Christian communities, Orthodox and Protestant—invites us to pray that Christ’s believers might grow to be one as he so deeply desired—and himself so deeply prayed at the Last Supper.

Let’s not forget that unity has always been a challenge for the Church. Long before the 16th century Reformation, long before the 11th century Eastern Schism, Christians argued and bickered, dividing the unity of the one Body of Christ. Even the New Testament attests to the challenges that faced the early Church communities. And even the gospels note the disagreements and jealousies that plagued the apostles and disciples, even as they followed the incarnate God!

In the end it’s in our human nature to disagree, to argue, to sometimes separate. Some of that’s just the shape of conversation. Some portion belongs to the importance of speaking truth and wisdom in a world that falls prey to lies and folly.

But, the part of the unity we need to pray about and work for (but, remember it’s called the Week of Prayer—this is our time to bring our brokenness to God who can work miracles among us) isn’t just a human foible that we can shrug off. Our stubbornness, our arrogance, our desire to be right, our inability to listen to the other, and our lack of humility bring disunity into our families, our workplaces, our schools, our nations, and our Church.

Maybe this week we should take to heart the ancient words of the prophet: “Act justly, love faithfulness, walk humbly with your God.”