The gospel today brings us to the climax of Jesus’ mission…to bring all humans to His Father by His death, resurrection and ascension. The years leading to this time was to teach His disciples about the Father and the way toHim. If you remember, last month I said that the “Last Supper Discourse” (John Ch. 14-17) comprised many of our

post Easter readings.

Jesus’ prayer today, known as “The Priestly Prayer” was Jesus’ prayer for the apostles and for us in the immediate hours before His arrest. Jesus knows the “hour” of His death which will ultimately lead to His resurrection and ascension; the completion of the work for which He was sent. As He breathed His last words, He said: “It is finished.” It is the ultimate victory (over death) that will bring glory to the Father and give Him (Jesus) the glory that He had before the world began. And once He has prayed in glory of the Father, He turns his thoughts toward us asking the Father to keep us one with Him and one with the Father. (You need to read the remainder of

John Ch.17 to get the full effect of how fervently Jesus prays, first for His apostles, and then for all those who come to know Him and the Father through the apostles’ teachings).

Jesus unequivocally says in today’s reading that He and the Father are one. He prays that all of us “may be one, as You Father are in me and I am in You. I pray that they may be one in us”. (John 17: 20-2 1). I think this is one of the most beautiful and profound readings in Scripture. It “wraps up” Jesus’ life. He always gave glory to the Father. He gave up that glory to become man, but now He is to be glorified again Himself. It was His mission to bring all to the Father by giving them eternal life. Those who believe in Him are in the world, but they are not of the world because He has lifted us above it!

We should ask ourselves: Are we one with Christ and thus one with the Father? Are we one with each other here on earth? (We need to be if we are to be one with Christ and the Father). And what about our mission? Do we fulfill it so that we bring glory to the Father?

Holy Spirit, guide us so that we may be one, glorifying the Father forever and ever! Amen!