May 27: Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Posted by Campus Ministry on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM PDT
.png)
Today’s readings show us two instances where we are encouraged to find in the world a joy that is complex and deeply rooted in Love. In the first reading, Paul leaves church leaders with a message before he goes on: “keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock”. In the Gospel reading, Jesus prays to God for the protection of all people and that they may know their belovedness even after Christ is not physically present. I love this Gospel reading because we get to see an honest conversation where Jesus is simultaneously filled with this vibrant joy and an intense longing to be one with his people. Both stories acknowledge a physical separation between human beings. People grieved Paul’s departure because it left them filled with uncertainty. Jesus prepared for the pain of leaving his people and asked God to show them the joy he has. These moments remind us that the Love of God transcends the physical space we are in. This love exists in the middle of uncertainty, loneliness, and confusion and gives us the freedom to hold the seemingly contradictory feelings of pain and joy. Our joy comes from trust that God is present even when we don’t understand how. The ways our hearts break for the world shows us how we arise from Love.
Deirdre Pearson, Class of 2022