Thursday of the
Sixth Week of Easter
(Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20)
A novel about couple undergoing a trial in their marriage
reaches a climax when an adolescent dies in a freakish accident. At his funeral the youth minister says that
the boy is much happier now because he is with the Lord. Realizing that these words will sound
platitudinous, she urges the distraught congregation to have faith. She reminds everyone of a verse from
Ecclesiastes saying: “A cord of
three strands is not quickly broken.”
She has God in mind. He can hold
together any people who are struggling, be they a couple with a marriage problem
or a community overwhelmed with grief. Jesus
intimates the same kind of faith in today’s gospel.
The disciples seem naively unaware of
the ordeal that Jesus faces. When he
tells them that in a little while they will no longer see him, he is referring
to his impending crucifixion. But then
they will see him because God will raise him from the dead. Earlier Jesus urged his friends to have faith
in him. To overcome the grief they are
about to experience they will need to trust in God.
Death separates us from those whom we
love. We believe that God will raise up
from the dead all who believe in him.
Yet when it swallows up those about whom we care about the most, we can
hardly help but wonder. At such a moment
we are wise to retreat into prayer and mutual support. Doing so, we will not have to wait for the
general resurrection to experience God’s glory.
