Jesus said to his apostles, “I will not leave you orphans.”
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Often in our lives we will feel alone or isolated. This could be while living alone and cut off from the world, or sometimes it happens when we are surrounded by friends and family. In those cases we may feel alone because no one understands us or our situation.
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Jesus appeared to his apostles during a lockdown
In those moments of isolation, we should recall the words of Jesus to his apostles.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me … I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:1, 16-18)
These words of Jesus refer to two reasons why we should not feel alone.
First of all, his words refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which continues down to the present day. Jesus didn’t promise a “one-time” coming of the Holy Spirit, but that the Holy Spirit would be “with you always.”
In this way, we can be confident that the Holy Spirit is with us, while we are reading these words on a screen. The Holy Spirit is with you as a constant guide and companion along the journey of life!
Secondly, Jesus promises that “I will come to you.” This can be interpreted in multiple ways, such as the coming of Jesus at the end of time, but it can also refer to Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.
Jesus wanted to be at our side every step of the way and even to be within us, in a special way that is made possible by the Eucharist.
If we can see the world in the eyes of faith, we are never alone and should try to place all of our fears, hopes and worries into the arms of Jesus, who does not leave us as orphans in this world.
