Don't Fall Away

Gospel Reflection - Monday, May 26th

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
— John 15:26—16:4

Christian life is no walk in the park.

I sometimes think about how life would’ve been like for those born in the time of Jesus. Imagine for a second being able to witness firsthand the miracles of Our Savior. His crucifixion. His voice, his presence. Imagine being able to learn firsthand from Him. That must’ve been something incredible.

And then I think how tough it must’ve been for the apostles to be without his physical presence upon his death, and after his resurrection and ascent to Heaven. Just imagine how disheartening it might’ve felt like, to have Jesus by your side one second, and to not have Him physically there to guide you the next moment.

Jesus clearly knew that this would be a difficult transition for the apostles. Today’s Gospel talks about the warning that Jesus gave His disciples before His passion: life’s about to get tough for you. You will be tested. You will be criticized. You will be persecuted. Even killed. And no one will say anything because they think that by killing you, they are doing God’s will. Following Me might cost you your life.

If it was tough for the apostles to remain faithful and firm, even after having seen firsthand the miracles of Our Lord, it’s going to be tough for us too. We weren’t there in the first century to know Jesus physically. But His warning is just as relevant now as it was then: there will be reasons to fall away from the faith. There will be plenty of "justifiable” excuses not to follow Christ.

We need to know this. We need to know that Christian life won’t be easy, and it might cost us everything we have. Because only then will we be prepared to truly surrender our hearts to The Lord, pick up our crosses, and follow Him towards Heaven.

Be prepared, be vigilant, remain steadfast, and do not fall away.

Whenever trouble comes knocking, remember today’s Gospel, and find strength in Him.

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