Sixth Sunday of Eastertide – Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Psalm 66:1-3,4-5,6-7,16,20; 1 P 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

I will not leave you orphans.

There is something comforting about this: Jesus’ assurance that He will not leave us alone. The first to hear about it were the disciples, i.e., people who have already passed away from the human point of view, whose bones had crumbled to dust. We hear the continuity of this presence of God today, just as strongly, although many years after those events. God embraces our past, present and future.

Today – in the era of life insurance, investing in ourselves, when it’s good to be able to boast about our own resourcefulness – this loving and inviting Presence says something extremely important about us, people. The relationship in which we’re with God – is this – life-giving, fruitful, creative. This bond does not burden but liberates.

If we are looking for solutions: in our relationships with people, with the world, with ourselves – perhaps we need to look for them here. In the relationship we have with God. In Jesus’ assurance: “I will not leave you . . .”.