John 17:22 (NRSV)
Read John 17:22 on biblegateway.com
Verse 22The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one,
Devotion
The journey through Lent, the path through the wilderness, is a path marked with ash. We were marked with ash for the journey on the first day in Lent: ash, an ingredient in soap, for cleansing; ash, from which the phoenix arises with new life; ash, sign of mourning; ash, mark of repentance; ash, residue of burning, a leaving behind; ash, for humility. We are from the earth: ”Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” To this humble beginning, Christ adds his own promise to us: “The glory that you have given me [God], I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” The humble Lenten journey marked with ash leads to the Easter glory of the living Christ, and we, too, shall rise from the ashes, new and glorious.
Prayer
O God our shelter, you have created a place for us in the body of Christ. Bless our daily journey, that all we do may give glory to your name. Amen.