6/5/2025 (Thursday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
20 And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me;
21 That they all may be one, as you, Father, in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 And the glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one:
23 I in them, and you in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have also 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 And I have made known your name to them, and will make it known; that the love with which you have loved me, may be in them, and I in them.

6/5/2025 (Thursday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 17:20-26

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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