Gospel: John 16:16-20

 

Jesus says a “little while”, a very brief period of time. The time between His departure and His return, will also be brief. There will be no change in the interior situation of His disciples because the relationship with Jesus does not change: He is permanently close to them. 

 

Jesus seems to want to say to the disciples that for a very short time the conditions to see Him still exist, to recognize Him in His visible flesh, but later, they will see Him in a different vision and He will show Himself transformed, transfigured.

 

The disciples have not understood how Jesus can be seen again by them if He goes to the Father. An answer is expected of Jesus, but Jesus does not respond to the question asked: “What does ‘in a short time mean’?”  He invites them to trust. 

 

It is true that the disciples will be tried and tested. They will suffer very much, abandoned in a world which rejoices because of the death of Jesus. However, He assures them that their sadness will be changed into joy. 

 

The disciples receive from Jesus a promise of joy.  In the instant in which the difficult situation is overturned, to which “His own”, are subjected, they will enter into a reality of the world enlightened by the resurrection. In our own lives, through contemplation and the acceptance of Jesus, we can also experience the same joy.