During Mass, there is the solemn Prayer called the Preface before the Consecration. In this prayer we address God as "Father, all-powerful and living God." Some scholars have made a thoughtful suggestion that chapter 17 of Saint John's Gospel is Jesus' Preface before his sacrifice upon the cross. At several points during this Gospel, Jesus speaks about his "hour". Now he addresses his Father with the words "Father, the hour has come." He thus surrenders his whole life into God's hands and affirms that his coming sacrifice upon the cross, his passion and death are the great hour of grace when he will accomplish the purpose of his life on earth, the meaning of the incarnation, for this "hour" is the time of our salvation.

Of course, indirectly John has been subtly teaching us that everything which Jesus said and did was a part of the work of our redemption. Now he perfects all that he has said and done in the great act of self-sacrificing love. Yet this is not something he does merely by himself, and so he must preface his death with this solemn prayer to the Father, for this is "the work that you gave me to do."