June 5 2014, Thursday
7th Week of Easter
Memorial of St Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Acts 22: 30, 23: 6-11;
Ps 15: 1-2, 5-11;
Jn 17: 20-26
Jesus’ prayer for the disciples!
Today, we find our Lord Jesus praying for us who believe in him. What a privilege it is to have a God who prays for us. What an honour it is to know that we are mentioned in the gospel and talked about by Jesus? Jesus prays for those who would become his disciples after listening to his apostles. Now what are the things that our Lord prays for? Several things: The first thing he asks for us is unity (Jn 17: 21-23). Our oneness in God results in mission, as Jesus says: “So that the world may believe that you have sent me,” and again, “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” More and more people will come to faith in Christ as the Church lives in, and manifests, and testifies to the love of God in Christ. Then Jesus proceeds to pray “...that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” He is talking about our eternal life in heaven in the age to come. There we will see his glory, undimmed and undiminished. There we will be with him, and we will see him face to face.
Prayer: Lord, fill us with Your love and the spirit of unity. Amen.