The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (127 page)

16:2 out of the synagogues:
i.e., excommunicated from the fellowship of Israel.
service to God:
Or "worship to God". According to rabbinic meditations on the Phinehas episode of Num 25:1-13, to slay apostates from Judaism is to sacrifice unto the Lord. 
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16:5 Where are you going?:
Although both Peter (13:36) and Thomas (14:5) asked this question earlier, they were too troubled by the prospect of Jesus' departure to press for information about his destination. 
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16:7 to your advantage:
Greater blessings will come when the Spirit dwells
within
them at Pentecost (14:17; Acts 2:1-4). Chief among these benefits will be the power
(1)
to proclaim the gospel with boldness (Acts 1:8; 4:31),
(2)
to preserve and understand the truth in its fullness (16:13),
(3)
to give witness to Jesus in times of persecution (Lk 12:11-12), and
(4)
to fulfill the just requirements of God's Law (Rom 8:4). 
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16:8 he will convince:
The Spirit exposes the sin of unbelief for what it is (3:20), convinces the world that Christ, though condemned as a criminal, was truly righteous (8:46), and makes it known that Satan and every enemy of Christ will face judgment for rejecting him (5:26-29; 12:31; CCC 388, 1433). The mission of the Spirit, here described in juridical language, shows that while he acts as an advocate or defense lawyer for the disciples, he is also a prosecutor who indicts the unbelieving world. See word study:
Counselor
at Jn 14. 
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16:13 he will guide you:
The work of the Spirit counteracts the work of Satan. The former discloses the full meaning of the gospel (14:26); the latter spreads deception and falsehood throughout the world (8:44). The point here is that the Spirit continues the teaching mission of Jesus to bear witness to the truth (8:31-32; 18:37; CCC 687). • Vatican II outlined the doctrine of magisterial infallibility, meaning that the pope alone or the pope and the bishops united with him are divinely protected from teaching error when they define matters pertaining to faith and morals (
Lumen Gentium,
25). The guidance of the Spirit is Christ's guarantee that the gospel will not be corrupted, distorted, or misunderstood by the ordained shepherds of the Church during her earthly pilgrimage (CCC 768, 889-92).
See note on Jn 14:26
. 
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16:15 declare it to you:
The Spirit gives us a share in the divine life and authority of Jesus (6:63; Rom 8:14-16; CCC 690). 
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16:18 A little while:
The disciples will again see Jesus at his Resurrection (20:19-30), and after his Ascension they will await his visible return in glory (Acts 1:9-11). 
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16:21 her hour has come:
The hour of Christ's Passion is compared to the pangs of childbirth. The disciples, like a woman in labor, will experience extreme distress that soon gives way to joy when Christ is reborn to a new life on Easter morning. • The Prophets similarly compare times of divine testing and judgment to the onset of labor pain (Is 13:6-8; 26:17; Mic 4:10). 
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16:23 ask nothing . . . ask anything:
Two different Greek verbs are translated "ask" in this verse: the first means "to question", and the second "to request". So the disciples must not interrogate Jesus when they see him risen, but they may petition the Father for their needs (CCC 2614). 
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16:25 in figures:
Refers back to the metaphor of the true vine (15:1-6) and probably to numerous parables in the Synoptic Gospels that tell us about the Father (Mt 21:33-41; 22:114; Lk 13:6-9). 
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16:30 you know all things:
Amounts to a confession of faith in the divinity of Jesus, since only God is omniscient (21:17; Ps 139:1-6). 
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16:32 you will be scattered:
Jesus foretells his abandonment with the help of Zech 13:7 in the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 26:31; Mk 14:27). His words come to fulfillment with his arrest in Gethsemane (Mk 14:50). 
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17:1-26
The high priestly prayer of Jesus, who turns attention from his disciples (chaps. 13-16) to his heavenly Father (chap. 17). The prayer has three parts: Jesus offers up his approaching sacrifice to the Father (17:1-5), pleads for the preservation of his disciples (17:6-19), and prays for the unity of the universal Church (17:20-26). This is the longest extended prayer recorded in the Gospels (CCC 2746-51). 
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17:1 lifted up his eyes:
A traditional prayer gesture (Ps 123:1; Mk 6:41).
the hour:
The time of Christ's Passion begins in earnest. Because it involves his rejection and the aggressive assault of the devil, it is also called the hour of "darkness" (Lk 22:53). See topical essay:
The "Hour" of Jesus
at Jn 4. 
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17:3 eternal life:
To possess life is to
know
the living God in his triune glory. Although this knowledge has a cognitive and intellectual dimension, it also includes a relational bond of love, friendship, and communion with God that grows steadily until our union with him is complete in heaven (Eph 1:17; 1 Jn 4:7). • Personal knowledge of God is a sign of the New Covenant, according to Jer 31:33-34.
the only true God:
The NT doctrine that God is a Trinity is built on the OT doctrine that Yahweh alone is God (Deut 6:4; 32:39). This ancient belief, held dear both in Israel and in the Church, stands in sharp contrast to the pagan notion that many gods exist and deserve our recognition (Ex 20:3-6; Is 43:10; 1 Cor 8:5-6). 
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Word Study

Glorify
(
Jn 17:1
)

Doxazo
(Gk.): to "praise", "honor", or "give glory". The verb is used 23 times in John and 38 times in the rest of the NT. From a biblical perspective, the glory of God is the weight and magnificence of his Being (2 Cor 4:17). John shows that Jesus, the eternal Son, possesses the divine glory of his Father (Jn 1:14). This glory shines through his miracles (Jn 2:11) and especially through his loving acceptance of the Cross (Jn 12:23-24). The Son's obedience to his mission glorifies the Father (Jn 13:31; 14:13), and in return, the Father glorifies the Son (Jn 8:54; 11:4). Before his death, Jesus petitions the Father to glorify his humanity that it may rise again to participate in the eternal glory that he already possesses in his divinity (Jn 17:5, 24).

17:6 manifested your name:
Possibly the divine name "I am", which is shared by Jesus (8:58; 18:6). Or, too, it may refer to the general revelation of the Father's life and love through the Incarnation (14:6-11) (CCC 2812).
See note on Jn 6:20
. 
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17:11 as we are one:
The family unity of the apostles is to reflect the family oneness of the Divine Persons in the Trinity (10:30). 
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17:12 the son of perdition:
Judas Iscariot, whose betrayal of the Messiah was foretold in passages such as Ps 41:9 (13:18) and Ps 69:25 (Acts 1:20).
See note on Mt 26:56
. 
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17:14 not of the world:
The disciples remain
in
the world after Jesus returns to the Father, but they are not
of
the world, because they are not allied with the godless forces that fight against the kingdom of God (15:18-24).
See note on Jn 1:10
. 
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17:15 from the evil one:
The prayer of Jesus becomes our prayer every time we utter the Our Father (Mt 6:13; CCC 285054). 
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17:17 Sanctify them:
To "sanctify" means to consecrate for a holy purpose, which here concerns the spread and preservation of divine truth. The task of the apostles is to speak the
word
of the Lord both orally (1 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:25) and in writing (2 Thess 2:15; 1 Tim 3:14-15). • Similar language is used in the OT for the consecration and ordination of Aaronic priests (Ex 29:1; 40:12-13). Here the disciples are set apart for "the priestly service of the gospel" (Rom 15:16) (CCC 611). 
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17:18 so I have sent them:
The mission of Christ becomes the mission of the Church once he returns to the Father. Although cooperation in this work is incumbent upon all baptized believers (CCC 1268-70), the apostles are sent forth in a special way for the ministry of preaching the word and sanctifying the world. This missionary mandate continues to be fulfilled by the bishops, who are the ordained successors to apostles (1 Tim 4:13-16; 2 Tim 2:1-2) (CCC 858-62). 
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17:20 those who believe:
Jesus' prayer reaches into the future to bless believers of every age (20:29). 
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17:23 that the world may know:
Envisions unity that is not only spiritual, but also visible and organizational, so that even the world can see it clearly (Eph 4:4-13). The indivisible unity of the Trinity is the source and pattern of this ecclesial oneness (17:11, 21-22).
See note on Jn 10:16
. 
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