Monday
of the 7th Week of Easter
June 2, 2014 8:30am
The disciples today get very
self-confident.
They finally think they get what
Jesus is talking about and have it all very clear.
They say that no more questions
are necessary.
We believe and that’s it!
It’s all settled.
And Jesus says: “Whoa!
Slow down a bit!”
Jesus knows that very soon they
will abandon him.
This scene happens soon before
Jesus’ betrayal and suffering.
Jesus wisely knows that faith is
not easy.
And it is never something over
and done with, never something that we can think it is all together or with
which we are all set.
There will be challenges to
faith, maybe all throughout our lives.
There might be the challenge of
prosperity and comfort – will we then start feeling entitled to what we have or
so absorbed with ourselves that we forget our need for God?
There might be material and
financial need – will we then think God has forgotten us?
There might be sickness – will we
be tempted to question why this has had to happen?
There might be grief and
loneliness – will we wonder why God would allow this to happen?
And there will be aging – will be
rebel at the loss of our energies and independence and protest against God?
Jesus rightly slows down the
over-confidence of the apostles and of us.
We need to pray for faith – for
the faith that means trusting in God no matter what, for the faith that means
daily praying to God when we are in darkness to see us through to the light,
for the faith that will help us feel God’s closeness and warm love when we need
it most.
So when we pray for our needs,
let’s pray for the gift of a strong and enduring and growing faith.
That’s what Jesus is prodding the
apostles to do today.
