THAT THEY MAY BE ONE
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 17:20–23
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Grace Prayed For
Lord Jesus, you prayed that all who believe in you might be one — united in love, rooted in truth, and made visible to a world longing for something real. Open our hearts today to the gift and the call of unity. Where division has taken root, soften us. Where pride has built walls, humble us. And where your Spirit is already at work drawing us together, give us the courage to say yes. Amen.
Reflection
There is something quietly astonishing about this passage. Jesus, hours from the cross, intercedes not only for his disciples gathered in that room — but for every person who will come to believe through their witness. That includes us. We were on his heart that night.
And what does he ask for? Not safety. Not success. Not comfort. He asks that we may be one — the same kind of oneness that exists between the Father and the Son. Not merely cooperation or tolerance, but a deep, living communion rooted in love.
This prayer challenges us because unity is not always easy. We carry different wounds, different traditions, different ways of seeing. Division is often more comfortable than the hard work of reconciliation. And yet Jesus says plainly: it is our unity that makes the Gospel visible. “That the world may know that you sent me.” Our oneness is not just an internal ideal — it is a witness to a watching world.
To be one is to reflect something of the Trinity itself. It is to love across difference. To stay at the table when leaving would be easier. To recognize the face of Christ in the one who does not look like us, worship like us, or think like us.
This is not our work alone. It is a grace — one Jesus is still asking the Father to give us.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post