Jesus’ Prayer!

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Acts 20:28-38; Jn 17:11b-19

Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on Jesus’ prayer for his disciples’ protection, unity, mission, and sanctification in truth. 

1. Jesus’ prayer for the protection of his disciples highlights God’s care for humanity. The fact that Christians are ‘in the world without belonging to it’ underscores the Christian identity in permanent tension with the world. As Christians labor for God’s Kingdom, they cannot succeed in their mission without antagonizing the world if it is opposed to God’s will. 

2. Jesus’ prayer for unity is modelled on the Trinitarian relationship. He wants such relational identity to characterize the lives and mission of his disciples. Hence, we must understand that Christian unity reflects the Trinitarian oneness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While division becomes a counter witness, unity enhances our mission. 

3. Jesus’ prayer for his disciples’ mission explains the inextricable connection between Christian vocation and mission. Christians are called and exist for mission. Jesus is passing the baton to his disciples when he prays to his Father, ‘As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.’ We are called to retain our mission-oriented identity. 

4. John’s use of the word ‘sanctification’ does not just denote moral purity but the state of being set apart for God’s purpose. The instrument of sanctification is God’s Word, which is identified as the Truth. The gradual and continuous process of ‘sanctification in truth’ is more nourished by our close imitation of Christ, in perfect sync with God’s word. 

Let us pray that who we are and what we do may be redefined by Christ’s prayer for us. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar