Monday after Exaudi Sunday
Posted on May 22, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. John 17:20-26 (NKJV)
17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Devotion
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed” took the bread and then the cup. Later, He would take us, “those who will believe in Me.” He would take us to His Father in prayer. Knowing full well what awaited Him, the Cross, we find Jesus doing what Jesus always does. He is thinking about others. His compassion toward us never ceases.
Jesus’ compassion toward us is profound. As Jesus reflects on His unity with the Father, “You, Father, are in Me, and I in You,” He desires the same unity for us with Him. Even though we are poor, miserable sinners, in Jesus’ Word we hear God’s deep, deep desire to be one with us. The deep mystery of the unity of the Father and the Son takes us into what might be seen as an even greater and deeper mystery of God, that a perfect and holy God desires to be one with sinners.
This is a great and deep mystery to us because our human reason and our sinful nature lead us to think and to do the opposite of God. Our sinful nature leads us to think of ourselves first and to look at others with disdain. That is why Jesus has to pray for us. Left to ourselves, all we would have is our sinful selves. Thankfully, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed” prayed for us, later died for us, and on the third day rose from the grave for us, so that we may be one with Him.
Prayer: Almighty, everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will toward Thee, and to serve Thy Majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
