Gospel – John 16: 12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

Reflection on the Gospel

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

Saying goodbye is never easy. In John’s Gospel chronicling the Last Supper, Jesus knew his hour had come to depart from the world, and that he would be saying goodbye to those he loved. Jesus also knew that he had only a short time to impart the last, profound insights and lessons to his disciples: “in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places,” “I am the vine and you are the branches,” “love one another as I have loved you.”

The Apostles were confused and questioning, they seemed not to hear him, so deeply did they fear losing Jesus. But in John 16: 12-15, Jesus gives them (and us) the greatest wisdom of all: Jesus must leave, because it is only after Jesus leaves that Jesus can send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and to all of us who believe. In this Gospel, the full majesty of that promise is revealed. Jesus tells his disciples that he has much more to teach, but without the Holy Spirit, we are not ready to learn. It is only through the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells us, that we will be guided into all the truth.

Today, we have the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but we do not see Jesus in the way the Apostles saw him, as he walked and talked, and labored so hard as a physical presence on earth, touching hearts and changing minds through his teaching and his miracles. But in John 16: 12-15, Jesus tells us that today we have the opportunity to receive much more. Through the Holy Spirit, we will receive the abundance of everything that the Father has through Jesus. Everything is declared to us. Everything. And, maybe, as we receive the abundance of God through the Holy Spirit, we ourselves can become more like Jesus, touching hearts and changing minds, continuing the work of Jesus on earth.

Mrs. Jeanne Mulry
The De La Salle School – Freeport, NY

Saint John Baptist de La Salle – pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.