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.”

Points for Reflection:
1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.