Day 351: The Prayer of the Hour of Jesus

When "his hour" came, Jesus prayed to the Father.43 His prayer, the longest transmitted by the Gospel, embraces the whole economy of creation and salvation, as well as his death and Resurrection. the prayer of the Hour of Jesus always remains his own, just as his Passover "once for all" remains ever present in the liturgy of his Church. CCC 2746

Today's reading from the Catechism is short, but powerful. The focus is on the prayer of the hour of Jesus, that is, at the Last Supper, when He, as our Eternal High Priest, was essentially giving a "mini-Gospel" in this prayer to the Father. For this reason, John 17:1-26 has to be one of the most profound parts of the New Testament, where the truth of who He is and His authority is shown.

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

When the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified. Jesus reveals that everything he does is for the Father's glory. There is a moment in the Bible when Jesus specifically prays for you. It is John 17:20, where he says, "I do not pray for these only" - that is, his Apostles - "but also for those who believe in me through their word." The Church is divided right now, and this is not what Jesus wants. We remember that Jesus prayed at the Last Supper where he gave us the Eucharist that believers "may all be one" (John 17:21). (p. 218)