Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (17: 11-19), in which Jesus speaking to the Father says, ‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world’.

As we continue to read this discourse, Fr Paul notes, in this part that it centres on the separation of Jesus’s followers from the world.  Jesus has given his word and he prays that his followers are not contaminated by the world in which we live; that they are protected from the stain, or contamination, of the evil one.

As we hear at the beginning, this Gospel is very much a prayer; Jesus raises his eyes and prays to God. It is known as the high Priestly Prayer. This is the hour of his exultation. It is an hour Jesus and his followers have been waiting for since the wedding feast at Cana when Jesus began his ministry. We are seeing the culmination of the ministry of Jesus.

For our reflection today, Fr Paul says we might simply join Jesus, follow his example and be with him in prayer.