Jesus asks the Almighty Father to keep the Apostles in Truth and protect them from the Evil One. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Charity so he can consistently love and pray for those outside the One Holy Catholic Church and by adhering to the Virtue of Truth so he never compromises Catholic Truth in a futile attempt at false unity.
Liturgy
7th Week of Easter – Wednesday – Jn 17:11b-19; 7th Week of Easter – Sunday – Cycle B – Jn 17:11b-19
Commentary
Jesus began His High Priestly Prayer (Jn 17) during the Last Supper by glorifying His Father and praying for the Apostles’ mission to evangelize the world. Jesus now prays for the disciples to be unified in Truth as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are unified.
Because His death will separate Him from the Apostles (Jn 16:16), Jesus recalls how He has “guarded” His spiritual sons from premature martyrdom, and now asks God the Father to continue to protect them (“Keep them in Your Name…[and]…from the Evil One”). Though the Apostles do not fully understand Judas’ betrayal, Jesus ominously reveals that He has allowed Judas, the “Son of Destruction”, to betray Him to fulfill Scripture (Ps 41:9; 69:25); later, the Apostles will realize that Jesus was aware of and used Judas’ betrayal for His own glorious purpose.
Jesus urges the Apostles to be joyful because His Passion will allow Him to return to the Father. Jesus, the Word and the Truth, has come to reveal the Truth about sin and the way to Salvation; those who love the world, like Satan (the Evil One) and the evil Judas, hate Jesus for revealing the Truth, and will also hate those who preach Christ’s Truth. Just as Jesus has consecrated (“to be set aside for a purpose”) Himself to bring Truth to the world, He asks the Father to sanctify (“make holy”) the Apostles so they are consecrated to bear Christ’s Truth to the world.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be inspired by Jesus, Divine King and Protector: with Divine Knowledge, Jesus was, and is always, aware of the evil attacks on His men; with Divine Power, Jesus Vigilantly Protected (a part of Justice) the Apostles from attack from the various malicious factions of Jews, and the Romans during the three years of His public ministry; Son of the Father, Jesus asks His Almighty Father to protect the Apostles, and all Catholic men, from the Evil One, and the many evil men in the world.
Love and pray for those outside the One Church
Realize: Omniscient, Jesus foresaw the evil heresies that have led many to abandon His Church, and insisted that His Church must remain “one”; the truth is that His Holy Catholic Church does and will always remain “one”, and all those whom Jesus accepts into Heaven will be received into the One Holy Catholic Church.
Believe: Reflect upon the truth that The Church is One (CCC 813-816, 866) despite the Wounds to Unity (CCC 817-819).
Pray: Almighty Father, help me build the Virtue of Charity so I deeply love all those who are outside of Your One Church and pray that all separated Christians and those of other, or no, religion, might be united in Your Holy Catholic Church.
Never compromise Catholic truth for “false unity”
Realize: After Jesus commands that His Holy Catholic Church be “one”, He immediately turns to “truth”; sadly, some gravely misguided Catholics are willing to ignore, dilute or even deny difficult Catholic truths (the authority of the pope, necessity of the Sacraments, nature of marriage, types of mortal sin, etc.) in an attempt to achieve unity with non-Catholics, but only accomplish a false ecumenism which can never save souls.
Believe: Reflect upon Jesus’ Holy Catholic Church’s effort Towards Unity (CCC 820-822).
Pray: Jesus, Divine Truth, help me grow in the Virtue of Truth (a part of Justice) so I know and valiantly and lovingly proclaim the fullness of Your Truth so that non-Catholics might be drawn into true union with Your One Holy Catholic Church.