Posted by The WORD in other words (2023) by Fr. John O’Mahony, SVD – Divine Word Seminary Tagaytay City
5th Week of Easter
An experience that is familiar to most of us is that of “being met” upon arrival and being escorted when departing, particularly after or before a long journey. As we approach our destination, we look forward to being met. This is especially so if we have been away from loved ones for a long time. And if we are going someplace for the first time, we may get worried about being met. Did they receive my email? Will I recognize the person sent to meet me? What happens if nobody is there and we have no instructions about what to do? And then the feelings of relief and joy when we find that somebody is there to meet us!
But what about the opposite experience? We arrive home or at our foreign destination only to find that there is nobody to meet us. On the practical side, there are unexpected problems: issues such as transport, phone numbers, language problems, etc. And when eventually everything works out, explanations are given, apologies offered and accepted, and all is well again, there may be some emotional issues that still linger within us. Feelings of disappointment, hurt, and even anger can remain and take longer to resolve.
In our Gospel reading for today, the words of Jesus capture the emotions of both departure and arrival with their undertones of sadness and anticipated joy. The Filipino language describes this experience very well with the two simple words hatid/sundo.The words of Jesus add a dimension to the hatid/sundo experience that help in strengthening our faith and deepening our hope in God’s love for us. Through his death, and later on his Ascension, the need for Jesus to leave is to return to the Father, having accomplished his mission here on earth But he does not abandon or forget us, rather he is going “to prepare a place for us.” And then he will return to meet us (sundo) and bring us to the place he has prepared for us in the Father’s house (hatid).
Jesus also does what we cannot do when seeing off our departing loved ones at the airport. When they have left, we must go home again, but Jesus goes with us on the journey. He is our Way who keeps us from traveling in wrong directions that lead to darkness and death. In other words, the one who believes in Jesus is invited to share in his friendship and be in touch with eternal life.
It should not surprise us then that this reading is often used for funeral Masses. We sense the inclusive love of Jesus for absolutely everybody. There is no crowding in heaven; salvation is for all who are willing to accept it. The idea of Jesus meeting us to accompany us to the place prepared for us is very encouraging and a great consolation for those who must let go of their loved ones at death. Jesus cannot remove the pain of departure, but he gives us the consoling joy of knowing that our departed one is safe with him.
May we, too, be ready at that crucial moment when Jesus awaits our arrival. And he will be there for the meeting; nothing will prevent him. That is his promise.
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