When I was a student, our more influential yet misdirected classmates  would call on everyone for unity. What did they mean? When something bad happened, no one would squeal to the teacher—even if telling was the right thing.

Unity is indeed an ideal worthy of pursuing, and even dying for.  

But unity for what? For whom? Uniting for spurious causes continues to happen to this day, even among misdirected adults. Even when their endeavor is glaringly wrong, their call is to close ranks and be united!

Jesus, our Lord, has called for unity. In fact, we should be one Body with one Spirit, one Baptism, one Faith, and one God. Saint Paul beautifully called us “one body with many parts.” And as our key verse says, we are called to be one—as Jesus and His Father are one in spirit and in truth.

One—through Him, with Him, and in Him! 

Alvin Barcelona (apb_ayo@yahoo.com) 

reflect

“One of the main tasks of theology is to find words that do not divide but unite, that do not create conflict but unity, that do not hurt but heal.” (Henri Nouwen)

Lord, in these times of grave divisions, may we truly be united—in our homes, workplace, communities, country, and the world. For only in You shall our unity serve its purpose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr, pray for us.

Paul plays a few games with his adversaries—he pits the Pharisees against the Sadducees to see what will happen. Perhaps he does this to let the Roman authorities in Jerusalem know that he will not get a fair trial here. At least he will have another forum in which to give testimony to the Gospel. Paul probably realizes that his life is coming to an end, but he is not willing to give up on preaching the Gospel as long as he finds a way to do it.

³⁰ Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. ^23:6 Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.” ⁷ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. ⁹ A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. ¹¹ The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.” 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

¹ Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; ² I say to the Lord, “My Lord are you.” ⁵ O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. (R) ⁷ I bless the Lord who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. ⁸ I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; ¹⁰ Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. (R) ¹¹ You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R) 

Gospel | John 17:20-26

Jesus prays for unity among the believers. He knows that an enemy’s strategy is to divide and conquer the opposition. It’s more possible to defeat two groups of one hundred people one at a time than a group of two hundred who are united for a cause. Let us never allow the seeds of division, resentment, and jealousy to enter our communities. These things will ultimately lead to our division and the victory of the enemy.

Gospel Acclamation

May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord. 

²⁰ Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ 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. ²² And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ 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. ²⁴ Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 KINGS 3 - 5 today.

The crybaby that I have always been was again in tears yesterday as I wrote my reflection. Today is no different. I have always had a soft spot for the abandoned, the neglected—individuals who, to my mind, were given a raw deal in some way. The image of the solicitous Shepherd guarding everyone so that none of them was lost was one that tugged at my heart for a long while, only to find continuation today.

There was a time in my life when I felt not just alone but sort of abandoned. In those dark nights of both the senses and the soul, this passage from John was among those that I held on to for solace and comfort.

Both passages of today and yesterday began with the same phrase: “Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed.” It reminded me of one of my most favorite passages from the Book of Psalms: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains from where shall come my help.”

This was what I prayed over and over again when I was down in the dark basement of desolation. But while I prayed hard for myself and my needs and concerns, the Lord at this time was praying for you and me, and more. He was praying “not only for these”—meaning His disciples then and there. He was interceding as High Priest for them and “those who will believe” in Him. 

I feel convicted. How many times do we need to be reminded that the socalled “mining” business is not what Christians ought to be busy about? How many times do we need to tell ourselves that God’s concerns go far, far beyond “I, me, and mine”?

Christ was at His best as High Priest in this prayer. He was praying for me. He was praying for you. He was praying for all, and His prayer was focused “so that all may be one,” as the Father and Him were one. But there was more. He prayed for the world, “that the Lord may know that You sent me, and that You loved them even as You loved Me.” 

Teach me to pray, O Lord!

Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

reflection question

Which part of Jesus’ prayer in today’s Gospel resonates well with you?

Your love, O Lord, fills me with so much gratitude. How can I still be unfaithful to You? Help me to be faithful to You. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________