Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 18, 2023 - 6th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 18:1-8 and John 16:16-20]"A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." [John]
THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 THURSDAY IN THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER [The feast of the Ascension is celebrated next Sunday in most American dioceses.]
The message of the Gospel According to John is intended to go beyond the actual setting and event being portrayed. The Last Supper discourse is an example. There is really no logical structure to it but seems to be a collection of statements made by Jesus which the evangelist put into the context of the Last Supper as a way of telling the story of that occasion but reaching out to all of us. The confusion of the disciples as to what Jesus meant by the statement quoted above is understandable. They were not in a position to understand his death and resurrection, let alone the theological significance of his being sent by his Father and returning to his Father - one of the bigger themes of the gospel. Jesus is portrayed as trying to console them ahead of time, but subsequent events would overwhelm them until the promised Spirit of Truth would be given to them by Jesus in his post-resurrection appearance [John 20:21-23].
Are we any different? The effort to understand and proclaim the story and significance of Jesus' life, death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit has required the best efforts of all disciples since the events themselves for centuries. We can approach this on many levels and experience the richness of the traditions passed down to us in the faith. The Gospel According to John and the Letters written in his name are only one example of those witnesses. The whole New Testament as well as the historical witness of the Old Testament is an invitation to understand God's plan of salvation. Like the disciples, listening to Jesus' words, we will have questions but we can be confident of the Spirit of Truth which will "guide us to all truth." [John 16:13] AMEN