Gospel Reflection-"I am Praying for Them"

by Winston Elliott III

John 17:1-11a
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, 2 since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 4 I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; 5 and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made. 6 "I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; 8 for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; 10 all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee.

Lord, inspire us to read your Scriptures and to meditate upon them day and night. We beg you to give us real understanding of what we need, that we in turn may put its precepts into practice. Yet we know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So we ask that the words of Scriptures may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace into our hearts.-Origen (ca. 185-254) 

And now the Priestly Prayer of Jesus (John Chapter 17) concludes the Last Supper. This is the prayer which Jesus offers the Father before going to the garden of Gethsemane where he will be betrayed and his passion begins. He asks that his Father "glorify" the Son that the "Son may glorify thee." This is the time when, through his death and resurrection, Jesus will more fully manifest his humility and his divinity. He will glorify the Father by showing the Apostles the Father and speaking of him plainly. For the Father  has given Jesus "power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him." Jesus has the power to give eternal life. Let that sink in for a moment. Through Jesus we are offered eternal life. Death has no sting for those who have eternal life. And life on earth becomes only a time of pilgrimage for this is not our final home. Please Jesus, tell us more of eternal life! "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." To know God the Father and God the Son is eternal life. How do we know them? How do we know anyone? Spend time with them. In prayer, in scripture and in the sacraments. Be with them now, more often, more deeply, so that we may spend eternity with them in heaven. In our hearts we can be troubled by the actions of certain Church leaders and priests, we can be saddened by bad music and impious liturgies. Yet, in our hearts, we know that if we are in prayer, reading scripture and partaking of the sacraments we draw nearer to God. We must stay in relationship with Christ. We must spend time with our Friend and Teacher.

"I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word." The Father gave the Apostles to Jesus. Now the Apostles, soon to be given the Great Commission to go and make disciples throughout the world, have been taught the word of God by Jesus. "Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee..." The Apostles know what Jesus needs them to know. He has taught them and now he is"praying for them, I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine..." This is troubling. Jesus he is praying for those whom the Father gave him, he is not praying for the whole world. Is this a prayer for this moment or for all time? Jesus doesn't say. I want to focus on what he does say. "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." 

Let us pray now for all those who, wounded by their own sin, have distanced themselves from God and his Church. Lord, these lost sheep are yours and yet they have turned away from you. Please pour forth your grace upon them so that they may return to your flock. And let us pray for those who, troubled by the scandals of sin by priests and bishops of the Church are estranged from you. Lord, your Church is a pilgrim church filled with broken sinners in need of repentance, including your priests and bishops. Turn all of us from our sin. And Lord, shine your light on those scandalized by sin in the Church so that they may have their faith renewed and return fully to You and your Church. And Lord please immerse in your Beauty those who, having seen too much ugliness in your parishes, have broken hearts for they desire that you be honored and glorified in beauty and in truth. Bring us all closer to you Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.