RBWords

     Throughout the "Farewell Discourse" I have tried to keep in mind the possible audiences for the words.  Today we should also recall the importance of any words of Jesus in the Gospel of John that begin with "Amen, amen, I say to you...."  The immediate impact on those at table with Jesus is confusion because of his enigmatic statement about "a little while you will no longer see me..."  He is trying to prepare them for what lies just ahead - his passion, death and resurrection.  The shock of his loss and the shock of his resurrection will be considerable.  Those reactions are recorded in the post-resurrection accounts in John!  Grief and joy are present at one and the same time!  Our own human experience of simultaneous grief and joy in disastrous situations: a hurricane or earthquake - we lose a home but no one is killed or hurt - should help us to understand all this.

     The second audience is the community to whom the gospel writer was communicating.  Around them, the world sees nothing but the historical death of a religious troublemaker whose teachings were stopped by timely intervention!  The same thing was happening to this community at the time of the writing of the gospel.  That kind of "rejoicing" can be a serious grief to those who mourn that death, but the community knows the presence of the Spirit.  The gospel is intended to console them as well and "remind them" of all that Jesus taught and promised so that they can experience his joy!

     For the community in which we live now, there are multiple causes of "grief!"  In some areas there is active persecution of Christian believers.  In other areas there is massive indifference.  The Catholic Church, in particular, comes under regular attack.  Some of it comes from sinful behavior by those who hold sacred positions, which is an internal as well as external grief.  Some of it comes from fear by those in political power.  No matter the source of the grief, the common believer needs encouragement in the midst of disappointment and disillusionment.  Recalling Christ's promise of the Spirit that will guide us to all truth is a way to the joy we need so much.  Jesus prays that our joy may be full and complete.  Can we accept that prayer?  AMEN