John 14:27-31a
"Do not let your hearts be troubled…”
Today’s Gospel, which is often heard read at funerals is one that gives us hope and comfort. I recently attended a funeral and after every reference to Jesus' promises, the homilist repeated Jesus’ words - “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Right there in the midst of grief and loss, just hearing his words silenced the sobs around me. As we were being reminded of the promise of heaven Jesus made to us our troubled hearts were comforted. "I am going to prepare a place for you.” Everything Jesus did and said revolved around heaven. Every miracle he performed pointed to the way we will be transformed in heaven.
People lose hope when they are in the midst of loss and believe they have no future. Yet, no matter our situation, we are citizens of heaven! We are destined for glory.The hope of heaven tells us that even if nothing seems to be going right here on earth, we can still find a place of eternal rest, peace, and comfort at the end of our lives. It tells us that those who persevere in their faith will finally come to a place where there is no more suffering, tears, pain or separation.
It tells us about a future that is worth living for, a future that more than makes up for all the hardship of the present. And it is a future that each one of us can know as we embrace Jesus and his Gospel message.
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