Coffee With God

Reflection: John 16:29-33

With the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord we enter the seventh week of Easter time. The liturgy of the Word will prepare us for the solemnity of Pentecost. It is a favourable time to dispose our hearts, and open ourselves to the Spirit of Jesus to act in us. We can’t just remain staring at the sky with our arms folded. It is urgent that we rekindle in us the fire of the Spirit that impels us to make the presence of Jesus alive, and to continue the mission of bringing the joy of the Gospel everywhere and alleviating the sufferings of our world. The Holy Spirit enables us, encourages us and strengthens us for this mission. In today’s Gospel we are presented with the conclusion of Jesus’ “Farewell Address”. The final verse of the speech gives the core of the mission of the disciples that awaits them: “I have told you about this, so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have struggles; but have courage: I have conquered the world”. The Risen Lord always brings peace that comes from his intimate communion with the Father. In saying goodbye to his disciples, Jesus invites them once again to have confidence. Despite the trials and difficulties, you should not be discouraged. Christ has conquered the world! Today, this conviction should encourage us too. We continue to face trials, oppositions and even persecutions. The global pandemic, wars, violence, suppression and corruption, bring up a sense of hopelessness. It is in these testing times, that the words of Jesus bring us comfort and consolation. They strengthen us to keep walking. That is the function of the Holy Spirit that continues to act more than we can imagine. In today’s Gospel we see a note of irony. The disciples thought that now they have understood everything. Little did they know that their knowledge was so shallow. They still had much to learn, starting from their imminent encounter with their own weakness. They would be “scattered, each one to his home.” But scattering would soon be the order of the day. The disciples would be sent out “to the whole world.” By means of the farewell Discourse, John seeks to reassure the members of his community who were bearing the daily burden of opposition and rejection. Jesus’ proclamation, “Have courage, I have overcome the world,” was an assurance, especially for the disciples of the time of the evangelist; and indeed it is an assurance for all of us who place our trust in him.