THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
This week we move through the last days of the fifty-day Easter Season. The focus of this last Sunday in Easter is on Jesus’ prayer in John 17, and it’s an appropriate way to end this part of the year. In the next few weeks, we’ll move through the equipping of Pentecost and the celebration of the Trinity into what is known as Ordinary Time or Kingdom Time. This second half of the Church Year is all about how we, as followers of Christ, live out the Reign of God as we have watched Jesus do through the first half of the year. This is where our faith gets both personal and practical.
It’s good to be reminded, then, that Jesus prayed for us as he did, and, if the Apostle’s Creed is to be believed, he still does (see Romans 8:34)! We need more than just Jesus’ example and teaching. We need his prayers to help us follow him as we long to. Two features of Christ’s prayer stand out in the different readings for this week: holiness and unity. Since Jesus pretty much defined holiness as love or compassion, unity must be seen as one of the fruits of holiness in our lives.
This week we’ll be remembering all of the prayer and support that God gives us as we follow Christ, and also the call to be united and holy in Christ.
To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.
