In today’s Gospel Our Lord describes what will happen after his Ascension, which is our situation right now. He will return. When he returns, what will happen? It’s his Last Supper with his most loved disciples, away from the crowds. He’s taught them about the Last Judgement, about his return in glory, about the end of history. Today he describes what it’ll be like for those who have persevered as his friends: a joy without end, and all questions answered.
He does not promise joy or understanding from the beginning; throughout the Last Supper discourse in John’s Gospel, which we’ve considered during the weekday readings of the Easter season, the disciples still don’t entirely understand what he is trying to tell them, because they have not been sent the Holy Spirit yet to help them, a moment we remember liturgically in these days between Ascension and Pentecost. Even today we struggle and don’t understand all the designs of God, but Our Lord has promised us that when he returns those struggles and those questions will end.
Take a moment today to imagine when Our Lord returns. What difficulties do you want to end? What burning questions do you want answered? He doesn’t tell us to wait until his return to ask for what we need to remain his friends. Ask.
Readings: Acts 18:9–18; Psalm 47:2–7; John 16:20–23. See also 6th Week of Easter, Friday.