TAKE COURAGE!

John 16:29-33

The context of today’s Gospel continues to be the environment of the Last Supper, an environment of fraternity, and of farewell. As Jesus addressed his disciples plainly about his origin, they confessed that they have understood him and have come to believe in him. Jesus however, challenges this profession of faith. He warns them that when they will see Him in His passion and death, they will be scandalized and will be scattered. They will abandon Him.

I think Jesus’ challenge to his disciples and to us today is call to faith. Faith is not in a statement; faith is not just the intellectual agreement to what another said. Faith is rather a commitment nourished by total trust and total surrender to God. Jesus invites his disciples and us to be united with Him in faith; to take the faith he has in his father and to make it our own. He calls us to have a faith that goes the way of the cross; a faith that knows the loneliness of total abandonment; a faith that believes in the sun even when it is not shining; a faith that shines in the night because it knows that there is no darkness that the love of God cannot penetrate.

The last part of our gospel, Jesus ensures his disciples. He gives them the gift of courage. Knowing that very soon the disciples were going to see that the world can do its worst, Jesus says to theme: “Take courage, I have conquered the world.” With this, Jesus is saying that if we have faith his victory can be ours too. Life can do its worst to us and we too can emerge victorious if we have faith in Christ. Courage! I have conquered the world. While we cannot avoid all pain and suffering in this life, Jesus, nonetheless assures us that he will guide us safely through any difficulty or trial we may have to undergo for his sake. The Holy Spirit, the promised gift is the one giving us a living hope in the power of the resurrection and a confident trust in God’s abiding presence. The Holy Spirit is the one giving us the strength and courage we need to overcome adversity and to persevere in faith. May the Lord Grant us his Holy Spirit.