In our Gospel today from John 16:29-33, Jesus says “Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own house and you will leave me alone.” I’m sure this was a shock to his disciples, who like Peter said that they would never abandon Jesus.
Yet what Jesus said happened exactly as he predicted, with one follower betraying him, one denying him repeatedly, and all the rest deserting him in his hour of need. It can be easy for us on the sidelines to say like Peter that we will never abandon Jesus, but how will we stand up to that conviction when it gets tough? Despite how strong my conviction is, I know I have abandoned Jesus in my life.
But Jesus is not like most of us. He is not mad at his disciples. In fact, he even lets them off the hook and says, “but I am not alone, because the Father is with me”. To have mercy on those who betray, deny and abandon us is the true definition of unconditional love. Let us pray that we can show this kind of love for others!
De Colores, Deacon Kevin
