And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. 12 When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. 14 I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 17 Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.
Jesus was about to leave this world and return to the Father with whom he has always been one (Jn. 10:30). After praying for himself he prayed for the “Holy Father” to be a Father to his disciples. He prayed for God to guard and protect them and keep them united in his love (Jn. 15:7-10) so that they too might fulfill their mission. Jesus’ words were meant to comfort the disciples and bring them joy (v. 13). They had received the “Word of God” from Jesus and were no longer of this world which now hated them, so Jesus prayed for God to protect them from the evil influences of this world (v. 15). Just as God consecrated Jesus and sent him into the world to witness to what he has seen and heard from the Father (Jn. 10:36), so should the Father consecrate the disciples as Jesus sends them forth into the world to preach the Good News he revealed to them. Jesus consecrated himself by his death through which we are cleansed by his sanctifying blood.
Almighty God, we too are under the evil influences of this world and need your protection and guidance. Through your grace, may the prayers offered by Jesus on behalf of his disciples consecrate us so that we can be effective in ministering to others according to our station in life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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