Called to love and let go
The words spoken by Jesus in today’s bible reading come at a time of high emotion and significance. He prays to his Father in heaven for the friends and work he leaves behind; they will all need strength to walk through what follows.
Thanks to Pickpik for the image
Preparation
Prepare physically. Watch your breath; be aware of different parts of your body, accept yourself as a created, wonderful, dependent person.
Prepare emotionally. Notice what you are feeling and thinking. Surrender these to one who loves you. Are you frustrated, sad, afraid; hopeful, motivated? All is welcome.
Gospel reading
Slowly, read John’s gospel, chapter 17 and verses 1-11. You might allow yourself to engage physically and emotionally with it by imagining Jesus’ body, thoughts and emotions.
Reflection
Jesus has been talking to his friends. Now, he addresses his father in heaven.
How did Jesus feel as he prayed? Many things, no doubt, as he faced death and the ‘end’ of his ministry.
I hear sadness in his acknowledgment that, ‘Father, the hour has come’.
The prayer centres him in his Father’s will. And his first concern is his friends:
“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me.”
Maybe his prayer reminds him he has limitations that must be faced: mortal life and work come to an end. He can let go:
“I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do”
He has known the joy of human relationships and communicating to others the great I AM:
“They were yours and you gave them to me.”
Jesus did heavenly work while living in the world. Moving on from there, leaving it behind, involves great suffering and trust.
May we all engage fully with our work; love those ‘given to us’; celebrate jobs done well; prioritise prayer. Maybe we can also learn to trust God at those moments when work is done and we walk away:
“I am no longer in the world but they are in the world … Holy Father protect them.”
Going deeper
Jesus says a lot of words in the ‘teen’ chapters of John’s gospel. If we read them in our habitual way, we get bogged down. We rush through, looking for the next pithy headline, feeling slightly bored, anticipating what’s coming…..
And yet, John has recorded Jesus talking at length, so there is something worth hearing. We are invited to adopt a new way of reading in order to listen. You might like to try the Lectio Divina method. There is a useful app here.
Finally, if you wish, spend time contemplating the rather difficult sentence in Jesus’ prayer:
“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me.”
Why does Jesus state, so explicitly, that he asks on behalf of one group of people, rather than the world entire?