Gospel for May 12 2024 – John 17:11-19
Gospel Reflections for May 12 2024
Time to Go!
Jesus takes His disciples to a mountaintop to say “good-bye” …and from there He ascends into heaven.
Before he leaves He promises that the Holy Spirit will soon empower them to go into the whole world and baptize all nations. I am not sure they knew what that meant. What they did know was that Jesus was leaving …and sending them into a hostile pagan world. Is that good news?
I remember a charming event years ago at a parish that had a full cap and gown graduation ceremony …for the Kindergarten class. I am sure they barely knew what was going on, but it was certainly wonderful for their parents to see.
As the children walked out with their diplomas, one of the dads, who was watching his son, turned to me and said, “Well …now it’s time he gets a job!”
I am sure that the son’s time will come, and when the time is right. There is a right time for everything. That is how you can look at the life of Jesus as well. There was His Bethlehem and Nazareth time, where He was born and grew up. He left there to begin His Sea of Galilee time when He preached and healed. He then left there to begin His Jerusalem time, when He suffered on Good Friday but then rose on Easter.
Now He is leaving this time with His Disciples so that Holy Spirit time can begin, which we celebrate next week on Pentecost Sunday.
Every “goodbye” in one time begins a new time very different from before.
We start anew with a deeper wisdom of what is important and what is not, and especially the importance of faith. We emerge better and wiser than before.
For many people their first source of wisdom was their mothers. This Sunday we ask God’s special blessing on all those mothers who are living and on those who have passed on. We wish them all the best.
The disciples did not know what lay before them in their new time of going into a hostile pagan world, but they had no worries at all because of Our Lord’s final words. “I will be with you always!” (Matthew 28:20) Today’s Gospel also affirms His enduring presence.
Stay tuned next week when Holy Spirit time reveals a power that never says “good-bye!”
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Dear Father Dave,
What comes to mind is the visibility of Jesus and the Holy Spirit within such close reach of the apostles. It’s breathtaking and leads me to think about the Holy Spirit in action today.
My personal experience to prayer and the Holy Spirit has been incredible and in some instances, life changing.
Thank you for your weekly reflections!
God bless.
Kathleen
Glad to hear your reflections as well.
Enjoyed the memory of the Dad telling the kindergarten graduate , time to get a job. Students graduating from expensive University Educations are told the same but having trouble getting employed today.
The Apostles were fishermen and now required to set out saving Souls. Jesus leaving and the Holy Spirit taking his place to inspire and motivate them into saving Souls. The task sounds overwhelming and only accomplished through Divine assistance.
What they accomplish is amazing .
Our Catholic Faith is evidence of their Success.
Yes, we stand on the shoulders of giants in the faith.
Thank you Father Dave for another great insight into the Gospel and the season the Apostles were in and we are currently in with the Church. In the words of those great theologians “The Byrds” “For everything there is a season (turn, turn ,turn) and a time for every matter under heaven, (turn, turn turn.)” 😉 We are always in a season waiting to turn the next page of our experience here on earth. Peace and grace.
Well said! Glad that the Byrds brought scripture so beautifully in music.
Our faith is so precious and so amazing!!! Our loving God creates us, man sins our precious Jesus enters our world to Forgive us and to teach us to love, dies for us so that we might have eternal life and the secret to salvation is to love as Jesus’ loved!!! We are given our loving Holy Spirit to encourage us touch others as Jesus did !Over two thousand years our Faith has transformed our world!!! Love our precious God, love His Son Jesus, love our Holy Spirit!!! we are so Blessed!!! and we are Blessed by you our Father Dave!!! Guesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss who!!!!
Thank you!
Yes awaited by the apostles is the Paraclete the Advisor the Counselor the Holy Spirit! Thank you Father Dave!
You are welcome!