Believe me, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not go away, the
Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you, and when he comes,
he will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and he will vindicate the paths of
righteousness and justice.
What is the world’s sin, in regard to me? Disbelief. What is the path of righteousness?
It is the path I walk, by which I go to the Father; and you shall see me no more. What
is the path of justice? It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand
condemned.
Reflect
God works in mysterious ways. So often, what seems like it’s good for us is
actually bad and what seems like a tragedy turns out to be for our benefit. We see that
exemplified in our readings today. The jailer in the first reading is terrified when he
assumes that his prisoners have escaped. He is ready to die by suicide rather than face
punishment. But instead, Paul comforts him and leads him to the gift of faith for himself
and his entire household. Similarly, Jesus knows that the apostles will be overwhelmed
with grief and fear at his death. But through Jesus’ death, the bonds of death will be
destroyed forever. What greater reason is there for joy but eternal life?
Think of a time in your life when it seemed that you had lost something of value or
suffered a setback. What good did God bring from this experience? How did it help you
to grow? How did it help you to identify with your brothers and sisters in need and draw
closer to God? Let us thank the Lord for these difficult lessons.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023