Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 6th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 18:1-8 and John 16:16-20]"Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." [John]
The context of the Last Supper discourse asserts itself today. Jesus is preparing the disciples for what will occur very soon - his arrest, death and resurrection. His "return to the Father" is a bit too vague and cryptic for them. What he is promising, at the least, is an emotional roller coaster. Since resurrection would not be part of the disciples' understanding, they would be more concerned with the death of their Master. The notion of "return to the Father" is also beyond their comprehension. The sending of the "Advocate" would not be, either.
We who live and believe more than 2500 years later have the benefit of the testimony of the apostles and disciples who would undergo that roller coaster of events in Holy Week. We are the beneficiaries of the desire to spread the word of Jesus Christ that the gospels show. We can understand the "little while," the "going to the Father," and the "coming of the Advocate." But the power of these realities can be strengthened by placing ourselves at the table with Jesus and the freshly washed disciples! We know the "end of the story" but it can help a lot to know how we got there. AMEN