Sermon for the Gospel reading John 17:1-13. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
In our last Bible Study class this week, we looked at the only prayer that Christ gave to His disciples, the only prayer that He Himself taught us to pray. He said, “When you pray, pray like this ‘Our Father…’” This is the only prayer that Christ gave to us. The New Testament mentions a few times that Christ prayed, but we barely know how He prayed and for what He prayed. In today’s Gospel reading Evangelist John provides one of the rare examples of the words with which Jesus prayed. And these are some stark words. He begins the prayer by asking His Father to glorify His Son. He prays for His disciples, that God the Father would protect them, so that they may be one, as Father and Son are One. By Fr. Thomas Hopko How can I know Christ as the way, the truth, and the life of God, and humanity, the light of the world? How can I know the Orthodox Church as “the household of God,” and “the pillar, and bulwark of the truth” - God’s kingdom on earth? If you want to find answers for yourself to these questions, Orthodox Christian saints, and spiritual teachers would ask you to do the following things as faithfully, and honestly as you can, and to see for yourself what happens.
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