Homily: 7th Week of Easter - Thursday - High Priestly Prayer

Today’s Gospel continues what scholars call Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  In John’s Gospel, the high priestly prayer comes right before the Passion narrative.  In this prayer, Jesus offers this supplication to his Father on behalf of his disciples.  He prays for them as he prepares to go to his death.  Just like in the Mass there are prayers that precede the offering and the sacrifice, in John’s Gospel here, Jesus the high priest, prays to his Father before offering Himself in Sacrifice.

What is Jesus praying for today?  What does he pray will be the fruit of his sacrifice?  What is he going to the cross for?  Unity.  That the mankind may be reconciled and made one with God, and that his followers, the Church may be an instrument of that unity. 

Through the Mass, all of us are gathered with Jesus as he makes this prayer.  He is lifting us up to the Father as an offering, saying, make your church “a sign of unity and an instrument of your peace”.  He is lifting us up to the Father, that the world might come to believe in God and be saved through your witness and mine.

And then, after this prayer, he offers Himself up as the Sacrifice, at which we are also present with Him, through the Mass.

It’s not called the high priestly prayer for nothing. 

In Jesus Christ, all of the baptized become part of this priestly people.  Paul VI wrote: “In Jesus Christ all the faithful are made a holy and royal priesthood; they offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ, and they proclaim the perfections of him who has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light. Therefore, there is no member who does not have a part in the mission of the whole Body; but each one ought to hallow Jesus in his heart, and in the spirit of prophecy bear witness to Jesus.”

You and I are part of a priestly people whose mission is the same as Jesus’, to reconcile the world to God and to one another.  For each of us has been chosen and appointed to go into the world and bear fruit that will bring others to God.

On this, the fourth anniversary of my priesthood, I also give God thanks for my vocation to the ministerial priesthood and I ask you to join me in asking God’s blessing upon my priesthood and all priests.

May all of us, together, be free from sin and division, and filled with the Holy Spirit in our mission to gather the whole human race into one, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.