Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began."I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.I pray for them.I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."
REFLECTION
The above Gospel is called "Jesus' Priestly Prayer."
Whenever Jesus prays to the Father, it is an example of how to pray. This time His prayer is a prayer that priests as well as the people should emulate.
"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,..." Jesus is showing His priests to first give glory to God the Father. This is similar to His teaching on how to pray when he gave the apostles the prayer, The Our Father. He begins by giving glory to God the Father at the beginning of both prayers.
"They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me."
He has given His priests the words to know, the new commandment, to love God and one another. He gave them the beatitudes. They understood and accepted them. They believe that Jesus is God. Even though this prayer is prayed before the Crucifixion and Resurrection, Jesus knows that they believe He comes from God, the Father.
"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,..."Jesus wants the Father to pray for His priests and for the Church. They are the ones who will continue the mission. He asks for the Father to protect them, so that they will continue to spread the Gospel and stay united in faith and love.
Let us pray for all Priests to pray as Jesus prayed. Let them ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom they can rely on to keep the faith and unity in His Church.
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