John 17,1-11.
Today’s first reading from the Acts of Apostles tells us that after the Ascension of Jesus, the disciples, with Mary the mother of Jesus and several women went back from the Mount of Olives to the upper room in Jerusalem, where they prayed continuously.
In today’s gospel we meet Jesus and his disciples in the Upper Room where the Last Supper has taken place. Judas has already left to betray Jesus. At end of a long teaching about the meaning of his forthcoming death as the loving will of the Father, and of Jesus, for the salvation of all people, Jesus finishes with a sublime prayer to his heavenly Father accepting God’s plan that he, Jesus, must die, must give his life so that all who believe in him may have eternal life through his lifegiving death and resurrection. He prays especially for his disciples who have accepted Him and his teaching and will hand it on to believers when he has returned to his Father in heaven through his approaching death and resurrection.
In this prayer Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection as God his Father giving back to him the glory he had with the Father before the world was created. He has completed the work God gave him to do on earth – “I have given them (the disciples) the teaching you gave to me, and they have accepted/believed that it was the Father who sent me.” Jesus prays for them “because they belong to you.”
Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper is known the “high-priestly prayer.” It is a preface to his death and resurrection – a summary of his life and earthly mission and his death and resurrection. His mission was to “give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him. And eternal life is to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Jesus has given this teaching to his disciples, and they have accepted it. He says “I have made your name known to them …. and they have accepted that Jesus came from God and have believed it was God who sent him.
It is interesting how many resonances of the Our Father we find in this High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. Jesus speaks to God as Father as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. He speaks of making God name known to them. “I have made your name known to them” – similar to “Hallowed be thy name.”
“They have accepted that I came from you and have believed it was you who sent me.” A possible resonance of “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Today’s gospel is a proximate preparation for the celebration of the feast of Pentecost which occurs next week. In today’s first reading we are told that after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, the disciples together with Mary the mother of Jesus and several other women in preparation for Pentecost “all joined in continuous prayer.” What does that say to you today? Give it a try.
Fr Geoff O’Grady