Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of assention. Next sunday we celebrate Pentecost. During the period between the of the assent-ion of the Lord and pentecost we waite for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the promised paraclet. We waite like the disciples of Jesus of that time, who spent time in prayer as preparation to receive the Holy Spirit. After receiving the Holy Spirit they were encouraged, motivated and convinced to preach the good news. The nine days Novene between the feast of assent-ion and Pentecost originated from this tradition of the waiting of the disciples of Jesus for the coming of the Spirit.
Todays Gospel is also from the farewell sermon of Jesus. We call it also farewell prayer of Jesus (Jn.17.1-11a) The gospel of Mathew, Mark and Luke report in many places (Mk. 1: 36; 6: 46; 11: 25, 17; Lk. 6:12) that Jesus went to the mountains, to the desert or to loneliness to pray. But they do not report what Jesus prayed. But the 17th chapter of the gospel of John is very important because we read there what Jesus prayed and how Jesus prayed. The farewell prayer of Jesus is reported there.
Since 16 the century this prayer of Jesus is called the priestly prayer of Jesus. (Chyträus +1600). Today we call it the farewell prayer. This farewell prayer is also an intercessary prayer and supplication. Jesus prays to the Father for him, for his disciples, and for all his followers namely for us too.
Jesus had fulfilled the mission which the Father entrusted him to realize. Jesus prays for himself for glorification which he had enjoyed before incarnation. The reasons are many. Jesus had fulfilled the mission that the Father entrusted him. Jesus and the Father are one; Jesus came from the Father; Jesus goes back to the Father; Jesus had revealed the Father to his disciples and to all humans.
Jesus prayed for his disciples in oder that they may keep their faith. He prayed for them also for their sanctification and for the unity among the disciples. In this prayer Jesus says clearly that the disciples and all the followers of Jesus belong to the Father and Jesus and the Father have everything common.
Eternal life is an important theme in this farewell prayer of Jesus. In his unity with the Father Jesus enjoys eternal life. Jesus promises to his disciples also this eternal life which Jesus has and prays for his disciples in oder that they also get the eternal life.
It would be the interest of many people to live eternally. Nobody likes to die. But Jesus promises eternal life, not the deathlessness. The eternal life that Jesus promises is unique in the sense that to know true God is eternal life. To know Got and let God work in our life is the wish of Jesus in order that we enter into eternal life together with Jesus and the Father.
In these days before Pentecost, we pray that the Holy Spirit strengthen us and make us courageous, may the Holy Spirit assist us, in order that we may know the only true God, and attain eternal life by knowing God. Let us be able to live in the certainty that God the Father, Jesus the Son and we the disciples of Jesus and the faithful build up a common ground, and experience communion and love of God and human. I wish this during the period of preparation for the feast of Pentecost.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS