Eastertide 7th Sunday June 1 2025
John 17: 20-26 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
In this passage, Jesus prays not only for His disciples but for all who will believe in Him through their message. His prayer centers on unity—unity in faith, in love, and in relationship with the Father. Jesus desires that we, as believers, may be one just as He and the Father are one. This unity is a powerful witness to the world, showing the transformative power of God’s love. It reminds us that our faith is not meant to be lived in isolation but in communion with others. Jesus also speaks of the glory He shares with the Father, a glory that He wishes to share with us, so that we may be brought into the fullness of life and love. As we journey through Eastertide, we are called to embrace this unity and to reflect the love and glory of God in our daily interactions.
Prayer: Loving Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, who prays for our unity and fills us with His love. Help us to live in harmony with one another, reflecting the perfect unity of the Father and the Son. May Your love bind us together so that the world may recognize Your presence in our lives. Strengthen our faith, deepen our love, and draw us closer to You each day. Fill us with Your glory, that we may share this gift with all whom we meet. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.