Saddened by a loss….comforted by a promise

The death of innocence and the loss of beauty break something so deep in us that we have no words for it. The loss of hope, of a dream, of a perspective   is almost more than human beings can bear; it reverberates forever. A world comes to an end. It is important for us to remember that this was precisely the situation in which the disciples found themselves in the days following the crucifixion and days leading to the ascension of Jesus. The world they had created was completely destroyed.

The Gospel passage takes us today to the Upper Room, where a sense of loss has saddened the Apostles. This is due to the fact that Jesus spoke of the world’s hatred of him and of his own, he spoke of his mysterious departure. To console them, He explains the meaning of his departure:  he will go, but he will return; meanwhile, he will not abandon them, will not leave them orphans. He will send the Consoler. This is constant reminder that we shall not fear even though we walk in the valley of the shadow of death.