Reading 1
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
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.
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.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
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?”
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.
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.”
16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Responsorial Psalm R. (1)
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 17:20-26
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,
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.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
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.
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.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
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.”
Meditation: John 17:20-26
“That they may all be one.” (John 17:21)
How can so many different people become united? Not even one person is the same as another. There’s the teenager covered with tattoos who lives down the street, the co-worker who is an atheist, even the Christian relative who belongs to a different denomination. How can Jesus possibly expect us to be one with all of the “others” in our midst?
By the power of the Holy Spirit, that’s how. One of the Spirit’s greatest works is to create unity. Think of how he brought together heaven and earth, God and humanity, through the cross of Christ. Now if the Spirit can do that on such a cosmic scale, surely he is capable of helping all of us to get along! Recall, too, how the Spirit brought together Pharisees and tax collectors, Gentiles and Jews, centurions and fishermen into one church in Jerusalem. Personal grudges, prejudices, and fears all melted away as the Spirit touched people’s hearts and showed them how magnificent life could be if they all came together in Christ.
Does becoming one mean acting like clones? Not at all. God created us as unique individuals, each with the ability to glorify him in our own way. Besides, uniformity is boring! No, God simply wants to do away with our tendency to separate and treat as unequal those who are different from us. He wants us to see that we all belong to each other and that we are all equally loved and treasured by our heavenly Father.
Becoming one with the six billion others on our planet is probably unrealistic. But we focus on becoming one with a few of the “others” we see every day, especially our spouse or children. So come to the Lord in prayer today and ask him to show you how you think about people who are different from you. Maybe a few specific groups or individuals come to mind. Do you sense any judgment or envy in your thoughts toward them? Let the Spirit teach you how to love more fully. Love doesn’t push away; it draws near and seeks to break down barriers.
Pentecost is almost here. Today, let’s honor the Holy Spirit by asking him to make us one so that the world might know God’s love.
“Holy Spirit, I’m praying the prayer of Jesus. Make us all one.”
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