Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” The 17th chapter of the Gospel according to John is entitled “The Prayer of Jesus.”  The chapter in its entirety is a prayer that Jesus says for both his immediate and future disciples as the days of his passion and death were approaching. In it, Jesus prays for his disciples by commending them to the Father for strength and protection from the fallout that was sure to follow his being removed from their midst (his arrest, prosecution and death, as well as his ascension back to the Father). The passage constituting today’s Gospel reading is the concluding section of the prayer, and includes the famed Jesus’ petition for unity: Jesus praying to the Father that the disciples remain united amongst themselves, and to remain in union with him and with the Father (communion).
Jesus’ prayer for unity was necessitated by two things: Jesus’ knowledge of where he was leaving his disciples (he was leaving them in a world that had not fully accepted him [cf. John 1:11); and secondly, Jesus’ knowledge of the disciples. Jesus was aware that the disciples were still grappling with owning their identity as his partners. He had a feeling that he was leaving them ill equipped for the challenges that lay ahead of them, challenges that would come both from within and from outside. 
From the outside, the challenges would come in the form of the many voices of opposition that would aim not only to distract them from ministry but also serve to sow seeds of division in the group. Those who will be seeking to oppose the disciples were aware that without unity, the disciples would not be able to succeed in their mission. From within, the challenge would primarily arise from the disciples slow progress at coming to full understanding of their mission. Incidences such as the two sons of Zebedee asking Jesus for the seats next to him (cf. Mark 10:35-45), and the twelve discussing amongst themselves who was the greatest (cf. Mark 9:33-37) were an indication that the disciples still had some work to do if they were to succeed in carrying out their commission (cf. Mark 16:14-18). The disciples needed to read from the same script, so to speak, for only by doing so would they persevere in the proclamation of the Good News. 
In addition to remaining united amongst themselves, Jesus’ immediate and future followers needed to be in communion with Jesus and with the Father. The need to remain in communion with the Father was a prayer that Jesus was making out of experience. Throughout the duration of his ministry, Jesus sought to always remain in communion with the Father and never saw any act or word of his to be his alone. He was always aware of the Father’s presence to him, and included the Father in any and all aspects of his ministry. Jesus always prayed to the Father both at the beginning and conclusion of his ministries. It was his persevering in communion with the Father that allowed him to carry on especially during those difficult moments of opposition and rejection. It is this same experience that he wanted for both his immediate and future followers.
Like our Master, Jesus, we who are his current followers need to remain in communion with the Father at all times. For the success of our mission of both preaching the Good News to the ends of the world as well as witnessing to God’s presence in the world, it is essential that we come to the realization that without our remaining in union with the Father and amongst ourselves, all our efforts are in futility. Without this communion with the Father and amongst ourselves, our preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ becomes fruitless. It is for this reason that the movement that seeks to restore unity among the Christian churches (Ecumenical Movement) has adopted as its theme and slogan, Jesus’ prayer for unity: That They May Be One. Just as Jesus had foreseen, lack of unity amongst those who profess the Christian faith has had a detrimental effect in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only has the division within the Church of Christ led to a distortion of Christ’s teaching, but it has also served to turn away prospective members. May we join our Master in asking the Father that we, members of the body of Christ, remain united so that together we can make the Good News of Jesus Christ known to the ends of the world. Amen.