That They May All Be One: A Call to Communion and Love

That They May All Be One: A Call to Communion and Love

Reflection on John 17:20-26

In John 17:20–26, we find ourselves drawn into the intimate prayer of Jesus to the Father—a prayer that stretches through the ages and includes every believer: “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” This is a profound moment where Jesus looks beyond His immediate disciples and speaks directly to us, the Church throughout time. His desire is clear: unity.

"That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us" (v. 21). Jesus prays for a unity that mirrors the unity of the Trinity—perfect, self-giving love. This is not merely a call to organizational unity or agreement in doctrine alone, but to a deep spiritual communion rooted in divine love.

In a world fractured by division, Jesus' prayer reminds us that the Church's credibility in her mission to evangelize depends on her visible and spiritual unity. “That the world may believe that you sent me.” When we live in unity, when we forgive and love one another as Christ loves us, we become a living sign of God’s love to the world.

Jesus also speaks of glory—the glory given to Him by the Father, now shared with us. This divine glory is not power as the world sees it, but the radiant love and presence of God within us. It is a love that compels us to communion, a glory that invites us into the divine life of the Trinity.

The final longing of Christ’s heart is that we may be with Him, see His glory, and share in His eternal love. “I made known to them your name… so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them” (v. 26). Our call, then, is to abide in His love, to dwell in unity, and to reveal the face of the Father to the world through our witness of communion.

Key Takeaway:
Jesus prays for our unity—not just as an ideal, but as a living reflection of the love within the Trinity. As Roman Catholics, we are called to embody this unity in our relationships, parishes, and witness to the world, so that the world may come to know the love of the Father through us.