A reading from the gospel according to John 17:20-26:
20 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
24 Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
26 I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
Reflection:
Jesus extends His heartfelt desires beyond His immediate circle, reaching into the future to include each one of us in His conversation with the Father. His words are not merely a prayer but a profound blueprint for unity and love, themes that resonate deeply as we navigate the complexities of today’s world.
Jesus prays not only for His disciples but for “those who will believe in me through their message.” This inclusivity is a beautiful reminder that the message of Christ’s love and the community He envisages transcend time and space, encompassing all believers across the ages. We are part of this divine legacy, invited to live out the unity that Jesus envisioned for His followers.
The essence of His prayer is unity “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” Imagine the profound impact of such unity: a world where believers mirror the oneness of the Father and the Son. This unity is not uniformity; it is a harmonious diversity where each person’s unique traits contribute to the beauty of the whole.
Jesus also reveals the ultimate purpose of this unity: “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Our unity as believers is not an end in itself but a testimony to the world of the love and truth of Jesus. When we live in genuine harmony, we offer the world a glimpse of Jesus’ character and His kingdom.
Moreover, Jesus prays for us to see His glory, a glory full of grace and truth, which He shared with the Father before the world began. This is an invitation to experience the divine, to be transformed by His love, and to reflect that love to others.
As we reflect on these verses, let us be inspired to pursue unity and love in our communities. Let us remember that we are part of a bigger story, woven together by Jesus’ prayer for all believers. Let our lives be a testament to the power of divine love that brings people together, defying the divisions of this world.
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In the final moments before His arrest, Jesus turned His heart to heaven and prayed not only for His disciples who walked with Him but for all who would come to believe through their message. That means He prayed for us. We hear the Savior of the world speak our names in spirit, expressing a profound longing that still echoes today.
Jesus also prayed that all of of His disciples may be one just as He and His Father are one. This is a divine blueprint for the Church. Knowing the pain and division the world brings, Jesus lifted up a prayer not for power, not for comfort, but for unity, a unity modeled after the relationship between the Father and the Son. This is no shallow agreement or superficial harmony. This is the kind of unity rooted in oneness of heart, a love so deep it reflects the very nature of God.
Why does this matter? Because when the Church is united not in uniformity, but in love and purpose, it becomes a living testimony of God’s love to the world.
The love between the Father and the Son is now the standard for how God loves us. That’s staggering. We are not just forgiven; we are loved with divine intensity. Jesus desires that we not only understand this love intellectually but experience it, so deeply that it transforms the way we live, the way we see one another, and the way we carry His message into the world.
What if we truly lived as if this prayer was our calling? What if our churches, families, and friendships were shaped by this kind of love, where unity is not based on agreement but on relationship, not on sameness but on shared Spirit?
This unity is not passive. It is missional. Jesus said He has given us His glory which is His character, His truth, His Spirit so that we may be one and sent. Our unity and our mission go hand in hand. We are not simply gathered for comfort; we are sent in love. In our fractured world, where division is currency and anger fuels the headlines, a Church that truly walks in unity and love will shine like a lighthouse in the storm.
How do we get there? We return to the heart of Jesus. We return to prayer. We return to humility. Unity doesn’t come from perfect theology, perfect behavior, or perfect people. It comes when imperfect people submit to a perfect Savior. It comes when we choose to forgive, to listen, to serve, and to love across lines the world tells us should divide.
Above all, we rest in the reality that Jesus wants us with Him. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” (John 17:24) This is the promise of eternity but it’s also the promise of today. We are invited to live close to His heart, to abide in His presence, and to reflect His love.
So take heart. You are part of this prayer. You are part of this story. Jesus has already spoken your name to the Father. He has already declared that you are loved, that you belong, and that you are sent. May we live in that love and walk in that unity for the world to see and for God to be glorified.
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We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). It is for His own GLORY that He created us and it is for His own GLORY that we know Him. As we thank Him for the gift of life, we ask ourselves if we truly know Him, the giver of life, the source of our breath and our ultimate destiny.
It was the mission of Jesus to let the world know about His Father and that He may be glorified. He built a small community of disciples for this particular mission. In the gospel reading above, He prayed for the unity of this small community to whom He revealed His Father. In His prayer, He was thankful to the Father as He considered His disciples as GIFT.
It is through that small community that millions and millions have come to know God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is no longer a small community. Yet millions more still do not know the Blessed Trinity. How will they ever know?
You and I are now part of this community. Just as the Apostles were called and sent to make the Father be known to the world, so we called to do the same. It is for the GLORY of God that we make Him known to others. And just as Jesus considered His apostles as GIFT, let us consider the people around us as GIFT too. It is to them that we are sent.
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Chapter 17 in the gospel of Saint John is actually the real Lord’s Prayer, not the “Our Father”. Let us recall that in the “Our Father”, there is that line that says “Forgive us our sins…”. Certainly, Jesus cannot pray for the forgiveness of His sins because He has none. In other words, the “Our Father” is for sinners, not Jesus. He just taught us how to pray.
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The gospel reading above is a prayer for unity. Jesus knew very well the importance of unity for His mission to be successful. As he had said, a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). Imagine an organization whose leaders fight each other. It will soon die a natural death. There is perfect unity between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus also wants perfect unity between Him and His followers so that through this oneness, the world will know that God the Father indeed sent Him and that His Father loves His disciples.
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Jesus prayed for His disciples including those who will believe in Him through their words. That includes you and me. As He had also said that anyone who listens to them listens to Him who sent them (Luke 10:16). He prayed that His Father’s love may be in us as Jesus Himself is in us.
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Verse 24 tells us that no doubt Jesus is really God who existed “before the foundation of the world”.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, just as you prayed for unity among your people, we pray for love and understanding among us most especially among our leaders in the church and in government as well that they may be united in working for peace and justice. Above all, may all the people on earth be united in glorifying your name. Amen.
