GOSPEL, John (17: 20-26)

Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John

 

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

 

²⁰ “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord

 

REFLECTION

Jesus’ request. “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us”, invites us to a constant effort to build unity.

Unfortunately, we find ourselves conflicted in preaching unity, by living in a closed relationship with our brethren, we often do not engage in valuable and fraternal dialogue.

If we want to live in the likeness of God, we need to live in unity, because God is three people, equally distinct, but united. God is communion, it is relationship. A communion that does not exclude singularity, but rather makes it free and expresses its expression. May God help us in this good purpose.

Jesus asks the Father to keep all his members together. “I beseech you not only for them (the group of the apostles), but for those who, through their word, will believe in me, so that they may all be one, like you, Father, in me and I in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me”.

His communion with the Father is the model and source of ecclesial unity: underpinning the relationship of believers with Jesus and the Father (vertical direction), and of Christians among themselves (horizontal direction).

 Paul thus expressed the ideal and foundation of Christian unity: “⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4, 4-6).

 

PRAYER

Our Father,

Help us Father, to maintain unity, bonded in Your peace because to be One body, One Spirit is the aim and hope of the vocation to which you call us freely in Christ our Lord.