Daily Gospel Reflection for May 16, 2015

Today's Gospel: John 16:23B-28

In today's Gospel, we see our Lord helping the apostles grow in their understanding of Him. Up until now, they've been praying in the name of God the Father. Now, Jesus says, it's time to start praying in My name. That is: You need to understand that God the Father and I are One, and you need to act on that knowledge. Jesus leads them into the truth in stages.

Jesus goes on to explain what He is teaching them. Then He says, “Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” The disciples won't really understand this until after it happens. It is only with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost that their understanding will be complete.

This is how we learn, too. God shows us the truth about Himself, about ourselves, and about the world around us bit by bit. Sometimes we don't understand what's happening until years or even decades later. We may think we understand something, and then one day we look back, and suddenly we see those old events in an entirely new way, and realize we never had understood after all.

These “Now I get it!” moments don't mean we're stupid or we've done something wrong. We are humans; we are made to live our lives in time, growing in wisdom and maturity and perfection in small steps spread over many years. If today we look back and realize that yesterday we didn't know anything, that doesn't mean that yesterday we did it wrong; it means that today we're doing it right.

Ponder:

Have you ever had a moment when you suddenly understood something important in a new and completely different way? Are there questions you have now, or situations you are experiencing, that make no sense at all?

Pray:

Lord, I don't understand everything. I'm struggling with difficulties that are leaving me feeling completely lost and maybe even abandoned. Help me to trust in You, and trust that You will show me what I need to know when I need to know it. Thank You. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Jennifer Fitz