Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.” (John 14:27-31a, NABRE)

In today’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus’ comforting words to His disciples as He prepares to leave this world. He offers them peace in their souls, not in a temporary way, but permanently. He tells them that there is no reason to worry or fear. Although there will be much earthly suffering, the ultimate end to this suffering will be that He is reunited with the Father. The ruler of the world is terrifying, powerful, and can do many horrible things, but despite this, he has no power over us. If we love the Father and do as He tells us, then the ruler of this world is powerless against us in our union with Christ. We can be tempted, persecuted, and attacked in all manner of ways, but it is all for nothing if we remain steadfastly united to Christ. Jesus’ torture and suffering is an earthly testament to this fact. He was physically tortured, mocked, disbelieved, and unjustly persecuted. He remained united with God’s Will, and so conquered death and came back glorified with eternal life. If we remain united to His suffering on the cross, we can overcome death and sin just as Christ did. 

Copyright 2022 Jessica Tucker