May 23, 2017
Tuesday, 6th
Week of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 16:22–34
Gospel: Jn 16:5–11
Jesus said to his disciples, “But now I am going to the One who sent me and none of you asks me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief because of what I have said.
“Indeed believe me: It is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, it is to send him to you, and when he comes, he will vindicate the truth in face of the world with regard to sin, to the way of righteousness, and to the Judgment.
“What has been the sin? They did not believe in me. What is the way of righteousness? I am on the way to the Father, meanwhile you will not see me. What Judgment? The Ruler of this world has himself been condemned.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
A pastor boards a plane to take the first flight he had ever flown. The stewardess notices his clerical garb and also his panicky look. She walks over to him and says, “Sir, You are obviously a man of faith – you should not be so nervous about flying. Don’t you have faith in God?” The cleric opens his bible, looks at her and points out: “Look, young lady, the promise in Scripture is, ‘LO, I am with you always to the end of time’. It doesn’t say anything about HIGH’” (Michael Hodgin).
The verse quoted by the cleric is Matthew 28:20 pertaining to Jesus’ pre-departure message on Ascension Day. Before Jesus ascended to heaven he said, “Lo, I will be with you until the end of time” (Matthew 28: 20). Then he made his disciples understand that his departure was necessary so that the Holy Spirit could take over his place.
But they were too focused on the sorrow of the departure, not on the joy of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the reunion of Father and Son.
Every departure is two-pronged, and one can choose whether to dwell on the sorrow of separation or anticipate the joy of reunion. The return of Jesus to the Father was one big reunion that released the power of the Holy Spirit upon humanity. But the disciples could not disengage themselves from the pains of separation.
In our spiritual warfare we tend to focus on the negative too. We look at the cross (+) as negative (-) when in truth the cross is a positive sign. It could look like an X while carried on one’s shoulder. But once planted on Calvary after a successful Passion it looks positive as it stands erect pointing heavenwards – a fitting description of one’s destiny.
Without an optimistic attitude, Christian life will always be negative, even with Christ’s assurance of his presence among us until the end of time. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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