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Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has
come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son
may give eternal life to all you gave him.” John 17:1–2
The entirety of Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel is traditionally
referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. This prayer concludes
the Last Supper Discourse, which we have been reading for the past
two weeks. It marks a transition from the conclusion of Jesus’
public ministry to His Passion and glorification. With His teaching
completed, Jesus begins His prayerful offering of His life to the
Father. The prayer can be divided into three sections:
Verses 1–11a: Jesus’ intimate prayer to the Father focuses on their
mutual glorification through the completion of His sacrifice. This
“hour” of sacrifice and glory is now at hand.Verses 11b–19: Jesus
prays for the disciples who accompanied Him during His earthly
ministry, asking for their protection, sanctification, and
perseverance in their mission.Verses 20–26: Jesus’ prayer extends
to all future believers, the Church throughout time, including us
today. He prays for unity among believers, rooted in the love of
the Father and the Son.Today, in liturgical Year A, we read the
first section of this prayer, when Jesus speaks of His divine
mission and His imminent return to the glory He shared with the
Father before creation. This prayer highlights a central theme in
John’s Gospel: Jesus’ “hour.”
The theme of the “hour” was introduced at the wedding at Cana, the
beginning of Jesus’ signs. When the Blessed Mother intercedes for
the couple, saying, “They have no wine,” Jesus replies, “Woman, how
does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come” (John
2:3–4). From that moment, Jesus references the concept of His
“hour” throughout His ministry, pointing to the appointed time for
His Passion and glorification.
In today’s High Priestly Prayer, Jesus makes His final and
definitive reference to His hour: “Father, the hour has come…”
(John 17:1). The hour of His sacrifice, the pinnacle of His earthly
mission, has now arrived. Though Jesus was fully aware of the
suffering He was about to endure, He did not enter into that
suffering with dread or fear. Rather, He did so with eager resolve,
knowing that everything He had done throughout His life and public
ministry pointed to this moment, which had finally come.
Jesus’ human disposition while praying at this pivotal moment
offers us an invitation to approach His Sacrifice in the way He
did. His “hour” continues in our lives every time we are invited to
embrace His Cross. Therefore, every opportunity for sacrifice—no
matter how small—must be prayerfully embraced in union with Jesus’
prayer.
Jesus’ prayer teaches us that sacrifice is not something to resist
or begrudge. Instead, every sacrifice becomes an opportunity to
glorify God and receive a share in His glory. When we embrace
sacrifice with generosity and trust, we unite ourselves to Jesus’
perfect Sacrifice, participating in His work of redemption and
giving glory to the Father.
Reflect today on the interior disposition Jesus manifested as He
faced His imminent suffering and death. He did not cower or
hesitate. He looked at His Cross with divine eyes, seeing His
Sacrifice as the pinnacle of His life’s mission and the source of
glory for Him and His Father. As we strive to embrace our own
sacrifices, turn to Christ in prayer, asking for His grace and
strength to offer His prayer as He offered it to the
Father.
Most glorious High Priest, when Your hour of suffering had
arrived, You embraced that Sacrifice with unwavering resolve. That
resolve revealed the glory You shared with the Father. Please draw
me into Your sacrificial love and help me to prayerfully choose
every sacrifice to which I am called with the same determination
modeled in Your High Priestly Prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.
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