SAINT DAMIEN DE VEUSTER, PRIEST (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

I will see you again. 

Picture yourself in the upper room with Jesus as he celebrates the Last Supper with his disciples. You’re amazed by the beauty of his teaching, but your heart is filled with confusion and anxiety because he has announced that he is leaving you soon. He sees your turmoil, acknowledges it, and promises, “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22).

As is often the case, Jesus was speaking on two different levels here. First, he knew that he would soon suffer and die, and he wanted to reassure his friends before it happened. But he also knew that he would rise from the dead and he would see them again! Then nothing could take their joy from them: whatever happened, the disciples would still have seen and touched the risen Lord!

This promise of Jesus also had a second meaning—for them and for us. Jesus knew that he would ascend into heaven, and his disciples would no longer see him physically. They would “see him” by faith instead. Similarly, we don’t see Jesus in his bodily form; we can’t hear him or touch him the way his disciples once did. But his promise is as true for us as it was for them. For now, we see Jesus by faith. We trust that he sees us in our joys and sorrows, and we believe that he walks beside us through them all. But one day, Jesus will return. On that day, he will see us, and we will behold our Lord, face-to-face, in all his glory.

Today, let Jesus’ promise encourage you: he will see you again—and not just in heaven! Whether your life is currently filled with peace or with grief and trials, Jesus sees you. He knows everything about you. If you are struggling, you may feel alone or wonder if God really cares about what happens to you. But that feeling can fade as you pray and imagine yourself standing face-to-face with Jesus. You can let his loving gaze cut through your shadowy doubts. You can let him speak these words to you: I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are intimately aware of you. They are thinking of you always, with love. Rest in Jesus’ words and let them fill your heart with joy.

“Jesus, I trust in your promise.”

Acts 18:9-18
Psalm 47:2-7
John 16:20-23