I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live. (Jn 14:19)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing His apostles for the moment that He will be leaving them. This Gospel is presented to us today because next Sunday we will be celebrating the Feast of the Ascension.
Goodbyes are often very sad times for so many people because they fear that they will not see someone again. Parents often give tearful goodbyes to their children when they go away to college for the very first time. The next holiday, however, the children are back home again.
We often get teary-eyed when friends move across country, again fearing that we will never see them again. But we manage to do so occasionally.
We really get sorrowful when a loved one passes away because we feel their loss and fear that we will not see them again.
However, Jesus destroyed death and restored life by His resurrection. We will see our loved ones again when Christ calls us to Himself.
We think about our many goodbyes today and we wait with hopeful joy for the day we will see our loved ones again.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for all those who have lost hope after the death of a loved one that they may find the consolation they need in Christ.