The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD – University of San Carlos, Cebu
Thursday 6th Week of Easter
Someday, a maid thinks aloud, when the family goes on vacation the house will be quieter, the fridge less crowded, the laundry hamper lighter, and the garage free of toys.
Someday, a teacher muses, when the students are gone, things are going to be a lot different. The floor will no longer be littered with crumpled papers or abandoned water bottles. There will no longer be chewing gum stuck under desks, or graffiti on the writing tables.
Someday, a parent thinks, when the children are grown, the car will actually be available when you need it and the telephone won’t be ringing every five minutes, but never for you. Best of all, you no longer have to yield the TV drama you like to watch for the endless run of their favorite cartoons.
After the extremely busy paschal feast, the apostles must have been thinking of a good time to rest extra time with their families, and opportunity to resume their occupations. Jesus, however, turns the conversation into a somber discussion of things to come. “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again, a little later, and you will see me.” The cryptic remark prompted the apostles to wonder what Jesus was alluding to this time. As post-Easter Christians, we now know that Jesus was announcing his death and second coming. We know that Christ confidently promised his second coming, and guaranteed that the day would be one that causes unspeakable joy to the faithful.
It is natural for people who are immersed in face-to-face relationships on a sustained basis to feel at times that they have reached their saturation point, where a time-out and even a separation, would be a welcome respite. And when that break does arrive, it does not take long for them to miss what they complained about: the chaos and disorder, in the relationships they are in, the bickering and the tears, and the noise and bustle, of their ordinary days, discussions and silly jokes.
We must realize that distance is sometimes needed to adjust our perspective, or something, and to appreciate the intensity of intimacy. We must understand that looking forward is the necessary complement of looking backward. The “little while” that Jesus speaks of invites us to a meditation on time and relationships. More precisely, it is an exhortation to reflect on quality time even in the most fleeting of relationships. Jesus who is set to leave is also about to return. The Master who seems to be absent is actually within reach. There are times when the absence of the Lord does make the heart grow fonder.
