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That They May All Be One
Where We Are
Alleluia! Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter brings us to the climax of Jesus's High Priestly Prayer, and it takes our breath away. Having prayed for his disciples' protection and sanctification, Jesus now expands the circle to include every person who will ever believe through their word. That includes us. We are hearing Jesus pray for us across two thousand years. Pentecost is three days away. In Acts, Paul stands before the Sanhedrin, and the Lord appears to him at night with a promise: "You must testify at Rome."
The Word
"I am not praying for them only, but also for those who through their word shall believe in me" (John 17:20). Jesus looks through time and sees us. His prayer is that all believers, across every century and culture, may be one, just as the Father and Son are one. "I am in them, and you are in me. So may they be perfected as one. And may the world know that you have sent me and that you have loved them, just as you have also loved me." The prayer ends with Jesus's deepest desire: that where he is, his beloved ones may also be, seeing his glory, sharing in the love that existed before the world was made.
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Reflect
This is the most expansive prayer in Scripture. Jesus does not limit his intercession to the Twelve, or to the early Church, or to any particular tradition. He prays for everyone who will ever believe through the apostolic word. That chain stretches from Peter and John in the upper room through two millennia of preachers, teachers, parents, and friends who have passed the faith from heart to heart until it reached yours.
The unity Jesus prays for is not uniformity. He does not ask that we all think alike or worship in the same way. He asks that we share the same indwelling: "I am in them, and you are in me." The model is Trinitarian. The Father and Son are distinct persons who share one divine life. Christians are distinct individuals who share one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
And the purpose of this unity is evangelistic: "so that the world may know that you have sent me." When Christians love each other across their differences, the watching world sees something it cannot produce on its own. Division among believers is not just sad; it is a counter-witness. Unity is a proclamation.
Jesus's final words in this prayer are heartbreaking in their tenderness: "Father, I will that where I am, those whom you have given to me may also be with me." This is not the language of a distant judge. This is the language of a lover who wants his beloved near him, always. The God of the universe wants you close.
Living It
Pray today for Christian unity across denominational and cultural lines. This does not require agreement on every issue; it requires love that transcends disagreement and division.
Reflect on the chain of faith that brought the Gospel to you. Who told you about Jesus? Who told them? Thank God for that unbroken chain stretching back to the apostles gathered in the upper room.
Jesus wants you where he is. Let that desire sink in. You are not a project to be completed; you are a beloved one whom God longs to be near. Carry that knowledge with you today.
Prayer
Father most just, your Son prays that we may all be one. Heal the divisions among us. Help us see in each other the image of the One we all follow. May our unity proclaim to the world that you have sent Jesus and that you love us as you love him. And when our journey is complete, bring us to where Jesus is, to see his glory forever. Amen.
Today's reflection draws from John 17:20-26 and Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 (CPDV), per the Ordo Lectionum Missae.
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