In today’s gospel Jesus is in his parting message. Parting is troublesome, disturbing and leading to sadness. It was not different for Jesus, the Redeemer of the world and he knew it would be much more difficult for his disciples. Hence he is in an endeavor to comfort and console them.
As a way out for their troubled heart Jesus gives the remedy of believing in him. Then he goes on telling that this parting is only for a short while. He meant his going away from the world, the event after his Ascension. His comforting words include the purpose of his going as to prepare mansions for them, come back, and finally take them home with him.
In the next step he instructs them that he himself is their destination, he himself the truth they have to embrace, he himself the life they have to attain or to grow into, and he alone is the way to this truth.
The next clarification comes that he and the Father are one. It means attaining him would be equal to reaching the Father. Where the Father and the Son are bonded by the Spirit in love is our abode, our bliss to reach. However, till this moment of reaching the bliss it is not an idling time for us.
St. Peter in his first letter comes with clarification, the agenda, namely, we are coming to the Living Stone and we in our turn are living stones to be built into the big Stone, that is, the Christ, and built into a spiritual house with an ongoing purpose to be fulfilled. The small living stones are to be built together into, and on to the Corner Stone, which together have to flourish as a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
Into the making of this holy nation we are called to. That is the work we have to finish. This work will go on till the end of time, and everyone who actively gets into this serious business will be finally housed in the mansions, to the building of which the Master Craftsman has gone and is now busy along with the Father. Hence let us be on to the field as living stones to be built into the Corner Stone!
Fr. George