Friday of the 6th week of Eastertide Gospel: John 16:20-23 In the days between Ascension and Pentecost, the Church lives in a sacred waiting—a waiting filled not with emptiness, but with promise. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples: “You are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.” The disciples experience the pain of separation, uncertainty, and longing after the Ascension, yet Christ prepares them for a joy that will come through the Holy Spirit. This period becomes an image of the Christian life itself: we live between promise and fulfillment, between longing and presence. The waiting for the Holy Spirit is therefore not passive; it is the opening of the heart to receive divine joy. The joy promised by Christ is not dependent on circumstances, because it is born from His Resurrection and sustained by the Spirit. It is a joy rooted in communion with the living Lord, a joy that suffering cannot destroy and the world cannot take away. During this sacred time between Ascension and Pentecost, we are invited to wait with trust, prayer, and expectation, allowing God to prepare our hearts to be filled with the enduring joy of the Holy Spirit. Let’s reflect: Am I waiting for the Holy Spirit with trust, allowing Christ to transform my present sadness and uncertainty into a joy that no one can take away?
Don Giorgio