O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 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

 

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 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.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  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.  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.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  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."

 

- John 17:20–26 

 

In our current readings, Jesus has just finished delivering His Farewell Discourse to the disciples (starting with this reading), and has begun praying what is commonly called the High Priestly Prayer (begun in this reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus prayed:  ""While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." 

 

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 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.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  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.  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.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  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."   My study bible comments that those who will believe describes the Church in every generation, participating in the life and glory of the Trinity.  It says that Christians enjoy two kinds of unity:  with God and with one another, the latter being rooted in the former.   Ultimately, it says, the goal of Christ's prayer, and of life itself, is for the love of the Father to dwell in each person. 

 

 In these final verses of Christ's High Priestly Prayer,  Christ prays not only for the disciples before Him, but for all those who are to come to faith, "those who will believe in Me through their word" (that is, the word of the apostles).  His prayer is first for unity ("that they also may be one in Us"), and that this unity will convey that faith to the world ("that the world may believe that You sent Me").    The great theologians of the Church, such as St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, and others connect this unity to the gift of the Holy Spirit; that is, to grace.  But when we look closely at Christ's prayer, there are other elements also connected to this unity, and they are also gifts, that were given to the Son from the Father, and in turn are given to us.  Christ next speaks of the glory given to Him by the Father, and this, also, is linked to the Holy Spirit and to grace:  for, like unity, it is a gift from Father to Son, but also shared with the faithful.  Jesus links this glory with perfection in one, and so we understand it as redemption -- that is, a life lived according to grace.  But finally Christ speaks of love, the love of the Father shared with the Son before the foundation of the world, before all ages, before time.  Unity, perfection, glory, and love are inseparable.  They all exist within this bond of Father and Son, and Christ prays to extend them to all who have faith, who know the Father, and understand and perceive that Christ is from the Father.  Just as He prayed about many mansions, and going to prepare a place for His followers (John 14:2-3) so they may be together, here He prays that they may not only be with Him, but also to behold His glory given by the Father, from the Father's great love for the Son.  Jesus calls the Father righteous, giving us a hint about what constitutes true glory, but declares that "the world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me," once again separating a world of darkness -- unknowing -- from those who come to know and love God, and share in this unity.  Finally, there is the declaration of the Father's name, which is also linked back to love, a love of the Father for the Son, and which is shared fully with Christ's followers, those who will come in faith and through grace.   These words imply a unity between Creator and creature, made possible through the love of the Father, the Father's gifts to the Son, and those gifts shared with the faithful -- made possible with the gift of the Spirit and hence of grace.  They are mystical words which need a mystical perception to begin to understand, but they call us into a unity in which we may participate and share glory, redemption, the Father's name, and most especially the love that exists between the Persons of the Trinity.  While the prayer speaks of a unity that exists outside of time; that is, it may convey both a desire of Christ, and an outcome which will only find its fullness in the culmination of ages of this world -- it is also a prayer that is at work within and through time.  And we might catch glimpses of each of these things within our own faith lives, our deeper growing trust, an understanding of love and righteousness, and even glory or true value, and what it is to be a part of "the name" of the Father and the Father's house or "many mansions."  What is perhaps most remarkable is simply the concept present here in love, because this shared love is meant to be shared within a family, a home, "a name" -- meaning the house of God.   As creatures, and subject to time, we cannot comprehend how exactly all of this happens.  But we are capable of participating in it and experiencing it, however short such glimpses and perceptions are, however nuanced.  We can feel our deep loyalty to this name, this "house" or home of God the Father, Son, and Spirit, and we can feel our belonging.  When we call on God for help, we sense a deep love and trust, the same way a child senses love and trusts.  All these things are shared in the fullness of participation, and they are found in the fullness of this prayer by Christ.  It is a prayer for all the ages and beyond the ages; it may find the fullness of its answer when ages cease and even beyond time, but for now it is at work through time, and all of these things:  glory, worth, righteousness, love, and the unity found in these things can be experienced through the grace that works in us, the gift of the Spirit.  This is what our services and prayers are for, and Christ's prayer must be the most potent of all.  It is important that we understand the ancient concept of "perfect" which Christ prays here.  Note that He doesn't pray we "are" perfect, but that we may be made perfect in one.   This word for "made perfect" in the Greek is τελειόω, related to τέλος/telos, or "end."  Essentially it means literally brought to an end, completed.  It implies a work through time, a fullness of something, brought to its most complete point.  And this is what we are to understand in Christ's prayer; it is a fullness on the way to being most fully manifest, and through the fullness of time to its end point, known only to God.  This is what is at work in us, and how it is working, and so we must understand ourselves and our faith as works in progress, and works in love.  Christ's prayer is always working, no matter what things may temporarily look like from our perspective, and we can count on its potency and love.