Scripture: Monday May 30, Lectionary 291: Acts 16:11-15. Psalm
149:1-2.3-4.5-6.9  John 15:26-16:4

Today's Readings

Hour is an important word in the Fourth Gospel for speaking about the
Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  Like the Synoptics, John repeats
this theme three times in his Gospel.  In today's selection from the final
discourse of Jesus we have the word "hour" used for our own way of
participating in what will happen to Jesus.  We will go through life with
many sufferings and even the ultimate mystery of death.  Our faith in Jesus
leads us through the journey of life to a deep spiritual experience of
trust that we too will live with Jesus in eternity through the completion
of the Paschal Mysteries in our own life.  This is our "hour".  We are one
with Jesus just as he is one with us and one with the Father. He has told
us in another prayer of his to call God, "Our Father."

In another very familiar prayer, the Hail Mary, we ask the Mother of Jesus
to "pray for us now and at the "hour" of our death.  Our union with Jesus
leads us to a relationship with his mother who is always united with her
Son even to his death on the Cross.  We have a totally human person in her
who helps us in our own "hour." Our union with Jesus and Mary takes us into
the final mystery of the Passover of Jesus, that of his resurrection.
Eternal life with him and all the saints is part of our journey of faith
and our creed that there is life after death and there is a union with the
holy ones who have gone before us with the sign of faith.

We prepare ourselves for the fullness of life through our union with Christ
and through the promise of Jesus telling us that the Holy Spirit will be
our advisor and our defender.  Moreover, the Holy Spirit is our comforter
and our sanctifier.  The time of Jesus departure will be celebrated either
this Thursday, "Ascension Thursday" or next Sunday depending on the diocese
that we belong to.  The promise of Jesus to send us the Holy Spirit is most
comforting and consoling.  Jesus tells us that we are to remember his words
about the "hour" as well as about the Holy Spirit.  Just as the Prince of
Darkness, the Evil One or the Devil will have his hour, we overcome that by
the Word of God and his hour:  "The light (Jesus) shines on in the darkness
and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:5).  Amen. Alleluiah.

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