Wellspring of the Gospel

 

Year A: Sixth Sunday of Easter

Gospel: John 14: 15-21

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the day when He will no longer be with them as a physical presence.  This is the feast we will celebrate on Ascension Thursday - when we recall the moment when Jesus seemed to part from His disciples - and from the world.

One of the hardest things to do is to part from those we love. Even harder is to let someone go upon whom you have come to rely. The disciples knew where they were with Jesus - inasmuch as anyone can know where they are with Jesus! They had seen the great things He had done - and found that they shared some of His gift for healing and proclaiming the Kingdom. He had conquered death - and they assumed He would be with them forever.

They must have wondered what would become of them once Jesus was gone. Jesus gives them a promise. He is not going to leave them as orphans with no-one to protect them. He will be with them - but not in a way that the world can see or recognise. Instead, He will be with them in His Spirit.

This is the Spirit of love and truth which comes from the Father and the Son - the third Person in the communion of love we call the Trinity.

Through this Spirit, we are able to enter into the divine life. Those who love God and follows Jesus' commands will know and be loved by God - Father and Son in their turn.

They will be in God - and God will be in them.

This is an extraordinary privilege. How can mere mortals be part of the eternal and divine? And yet such is the promise made by Jesus to His friends.

"On that day, you will understand that I am in My Father - and you in Me and I in you."

What does it mean for me?

Waterlily

Try using the phrase “You in me - I in You” as a mantra. Repeat it over and over in time to your breathing.

See whether it helps you to come to sense the truth in Jesus’ words.

Once you get used to it, this is a prayer for any time - and place.

Text © 2007 Wellspring

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