Year A - Seventh Sunday after Easter, May 21, 2023
Knowing God as Jesus Did
We gather in glorious the name of Jesus, in whose name we pray, as we prepare for today’s baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Have you ever wondered what Jesus’ prayer life looked like? What did he say when he prayed? What elements of prayer did he use? How was prayer helpful to him?
In reading the Gospels, I have found myself wishing we had more of Jesus’ prayer life in Scripture. Usually, we are pointed to the Lord’s Prayer. But John’s Gospel is one of a kind! Instead of giving us the Lord’s Prayer, John’s Gospel gives us the prayer in today’s Gospel reading. The prayer appears at the end of Jesus’ farewell discourse with the disciples, just before he died. They were in the Upper Room, Jesus had washed their feet, and then they reclined to hear what Jesus had to say. At the end of that conversation is today’s prayer, and we get to hear the heart of Jesus as he speaks with his Father.
With Ascension Day just behind us, we are invited to read this pre-crucifixion passage in light of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. So as we look at today’s Gospel, think about how Jesus’ resurrection and ascension influence our understanding of this passage.
Hear Jesus’ prayer, as he sits in this intimate setting with the disciples: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.” Then, Jesus tells the first person of the Trinity that the disciples have received his words and that they have believed.
How validating this must have been for the disciples! They had spent the last few years with Jesus:
striving to follow him
being in relationship with him
asking many questions & often not always understanding him
But here, in this prayer, Jesus validates their faith and prays on their behalf. His loving relationship with them is so evident.
In this prayer, Jesus defines eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John’s Gospel is all about abiding in Christ. Salvation and knowing God are defined by being in relationship with God. What did that mean for Jesus’ friends? And what does that mean for us today?
For the disciples, being in relationship with God meant pursuing Christ when Jesus called his first disciples saying, “Come and See!”
It meant being shocked when he embraced the Samaritan woman, even though many looked down on the Samaritans. It meant helping Jesus feed 5,000 people. It meant witnessing Jesus heal those who were sick or blind. It meant always asking questions, believing Jesus, and striving to discover God in and through him.
Jesus concludes today’s reading with this request, “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” You see, Jesus was so in tune with the God that he never stopped being love to others and seeking to bring healing wherever he went.
Siblings in Christ, you and I are called to know God in this way today. To be one with God, just as Jesus is one with God. How extraordinary is this?! Imagine if we lived into this calling each and every day?! Imagine how things would change for us and for those around us!
In prayer, we have an immediate connection with the Creator of the world. And when we pray, we carry that connection with us, as we encounter others throughout the day, and as we have opportunities to lift up those who feel dismissed or marginalized. When we are in tune with God, we strive to make things right, fight for justice, care for creation, oppose racism, and support those in need of an advocate, just as we see Jesus doing throughout the Gospel of John.
Let us welcome others through the floodgate of God’s abundance.
Just as Jesus prayed for his disciples, the resurrected Jesus who ascended into heaven now prays with us and for us. When you pray, you do not pray alone, but you have a God who prays with you.
In just a moment, we will have the privilege of officially welcoming two beautiful children into the family of God through baptism. What a joyous and wonderful occasion this is for the church! We are called to be the family of God for these young people, and to pray for them with Jesus’ own words: “God, protect them in your name, so that they may be one with you.” Baptism is not something we witness, but rather we participate in as the people of God.
As we pray for these two children, and as you pray each and every day, remember that you have an immediate connection to God through prayer. Just as Jesus was one with the Father, Jesus prays with us and for us, that we too can be one with God. Even now, as we baptize these two little ones, Jesus prays with us, that they, too, may know God. Amen.
Mtr. Lisa Aguilar+