+(Intro) Some are celebrating the Ascension today but since most churches in the diocese will be celebrating it this Sunday so that those working can attend, we too will celebrate the Solemnity this coming Sunday. As we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Eucharist let us be mindful of our sins and failings.
(After the gospel) Three times in our short gospel this morning we hear the words: “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while and you will see me.” Clearly Jesus and the evangelist John, want us to ponder their meaning, recognize how they address something central in our everyday lives.
When Jesus is asked to explain, he simply tells us that we will be faced with grief, that we will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. But then our grief will be turned into joy. He is simply reminding us that if we are truly his followers, then we must be ready to enter the mystery of his dying and rising throughout our lives. And isn’t this what we are doing every time we celebrate the Eucharist, making present Christ’s death and resurrection! Here is the deepest meaning of our everyday lives, the path that leads to endless joy in his presence.
Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20