Christ pray for us to be one

Gospel

John 17:20-26

Father, may they be completely one

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,

I pray not only for these,

but for those also

who through their words will believe in me.

May they all be one.

Father, may they be one in us,

as you are in me and I am in you,

so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

I have given them the glory you gave to me,

that they may be one as we are one.

With me in them and you in me,

may they be so completely one

that the world will realise that it was you who sent me

and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.

Father, I want those you have given me

to be with me where I am,

so that they may always see the glory you have given me

because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Father, Righteous One,

the world has not known you,

but I have known you,

and these have known that you have sent me.

I have made your name known to them

and will continue to make it known,

so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,

and so that I may be in them.’

Reflection

In this tender prayer, Jesus speaks not just for his disciples, but for us — those who would come to believe through their witness. His deepest desire is unity: not mere agreement or cooperation, but the same intimate oneness that exists between Father and Son. This unity isn't something we manufacture through our own efforts. It is a gift — the very glory Jesus received from the Father, now shared with us. When we live in this love, the world sees something it cannot explain by human means alone.

For reflection: Where in your life — in your family, community, or church — are you being called to be a bridge of unity rather than a source of division?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you prayed that we would be completely one, as you and the Father are one. Forgive us for the times we have chosen our own pride over the unity you desire. Draw us deeper into your love, so that others may see in us something of the Father who sent you. May your name be known through how we love one another. Amen.

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