The 17th Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John contains what is generally referred to as The Great Intercessory Prayer of Jesus wherein among several petitions he intercedes on behalf of his disciples. To quote: “I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours…but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” And in the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy we read: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone…so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” And the Early Church followed both Christ’s example and St. Paul’s instruction, for in his letter to the churches of Smyrna St. Ignatius urges the Christians there to pray for other people: “only you must pray to God for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance, which, however, will be very difficult. Yet Jesus Christ, who is our true