Last Supper discourse

JESUS said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

REFLECTION DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. Gloom looms over the Upper Room where Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples. Judas has left the room, to hand over his Master and never to return. Jesus has spoken of betrayal and his going away from them and has just foretold Peter’s threefold denial. The disciples are obviously upset and frightened. The “script” of Jesus’ story is going awry. We can imagine the character of Mary Magdalene singing her line in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar: “Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt. Could we start again, please?”

But the script is right. The disciples have just to see how it will end. And so Jesus speaks words of comfort to them. His departure is for their benefit. He goes away to prepare “dwelling places” for them in his Father’s house and he will come back to them. He will also send them the Holy Spirit — the parakletos — who will be their defender, comfort, and guide. Even Peter’s denial will be covered by his threefold confession of love. The mission of Jesus that began well will end well, because the script is written by God.

You are more than your past, your personality, your triumphs, your failures… You are a child of God.