John 17:20-26
The passage we just read is from the prayer that Jesus prayed at the Last Supper. After this the next prayer will be when he begs the Father to take the cup from him. Then he goes on to his passion and death. So this is a really important prayer and what does He pray for? Not for us to be more holy, not to have us pray more; not even to have us go to heaven, although that is implied, obviously because if we are one with Jesus the Father will never let us go. What Jesus does pray for is unity, that his followers consciously seek to become one with each other and with Jesus himself. And we don’t do a very good job of it.
Jesus wants unity for four reasons. The first reason is that we may be one just as the Father and Jesus are one. Second, that we may be brought to perfection by receiving the glory given to Jesus. Third, that we will show the world through our unity so that everyone will know that the Father has sent Jesus into the world. Fourth, that we will be where Jesus is, so that the love the Father has for Jesus will embrace us as well.
That’s quite a list. The gospel reading is one which you should go back to, maybe at the end of Mass or at home, and read slowly and thoughtfully. It tells us in summary form the whole purpose of why God became man, suffered and died for us, and left us the Church. It tells us that we have a God who created us as free creatures, then gave himself entirely to us through Jesus; and waits expectantly for our response. It reminds me of a marriage proposal, in which one of the lovers puts everything on the line and waits to hear the response of the other. And the other, by the way, is not you, not me. The other is you and the people of God, me and the people of God. Jesus is praying for all those who believe in him through the words of his apostles, words which continue to be put out there for the whole of mankind, two thousand years later and counting.
I read an essay this week about the transhumanist movement. As you may know, technology billionaires like Elon Musk, Tim Cook, who runs Apple, Sundar Pichai, who runs Google, and several others, are all pursuing ways to enhance human beings. You may have heard of neuralink, a technology which can translate brain waves into print, so that people who are disabled from things like Lou Gehrig’s disease can communicate again. And many of these people are looking for a way to replace cell phones. Brain implants, eyeglasses, tattoos --- they have several interesting and scary ideas. And we can’t forget artificial intelligence. They have come up with one that can converse with you like a real person, only without misunderstandings or misinterpretations of your words.
But Jesus started a transhumanist movement a long time ago. The Father invites us to become one with Jesus, who is God and man. The Father through Jesus invites us to share in his divinity. When we achieve this, we will have gone as far as possible for human beings to be enhanced; we will be divine by adoption.
Jesus wanted a way for people to become one in him. During his time on earth, he participated in many meals. When you look at the Gospels, Jesus frequently accepts invitations to parties, to suppers; and even after the Resurrection he shares in meals with his disciples. Eating together is a very human thing. Birds in our backyard fight over birdseed. Our two cats push each other out of the way to get at their food. But for people, eating together goes along with being civilized, building family values, and growing in our humanity. So, Jesus left us instructions about the meal which brings us to divinity, that makes us one, the Holy Eucharist. And being God, he made it possible for us to consume his body and blood, and through this act, receive the grace to become more and more like Jesus, and united more and more with each other. The Eucharist, of course, is the tip of the iceberg, the Church, through whose sacraments God continues to make us divine.
So please, again, meditate on this gospel and listen to Jesus’ prayer for you, for me, for his church. And when you come to Mass look around and see the people God has given to Jesus so that Jesus can continue the work of making us into divine beings.
