You will have sorrow in this life; even so, you are not alone, for God the Son—Jesus, your Brother—has gone to His Father. He did not go there to forget about you or to leave you behind; He went there to get closer to you. He ascended that He might fill and rule all things. That’s why we hear this Gospel between Easter and Ascension. After Easter, Jesus was with His Disciples for forty days, then He ascended into heaven, and then, after a little while, a mere ten days later, on Pentecost, He sent them His Spirit, and they proclaimed Him throughout the earth, and through that preaching, He was with them. He is with you as well; indeed, He is with you right now. He is the One preaching to you. He is the One who feeds you with His Body and Blood. In Word and Sacrament, He says to you, “Rejoice. I am with you. I will never leave you. Suffering yields perseverance and hope; its goal is to direct you to Me, to pray—call out to Me—for My help, and I will surely come to your aid. For I died for you and have been raised for you. You, dearly Beloved, have nothing to fear; I am with you.”
Readings:
Old Testament: Isaiah 40:25-31
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:11-20
Holy Gospel: John 16:16-22
Comments