truth that I came from you; and they believe that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those who belong to you, and whom you have given to me. Indeed all I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and now they are my glory. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me in your name, so that they may be one, as we also are.

Reflections
I pray for them How consoling to know that Jesus prays for us. Paul knew he was to suffer much in Jerusalem because of his differences with Peter regarding the prerequisites for baptism. The Risen Lord must have prayed for his protection and perseverance. Jesus does not only pray for us, He empowers us through his Spirit to live out the Gospel. Without the Spirit, we will be left on our own, incapable of following Jesus. Jesus would be reduced to a moral exemplar whom we cannot emulate. But because of the indwelling Spirit, we are made capable of following in Jesus’ footsteps — not by our power, but through his power within us.

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