Imagine the privilege of being able to have Jesus by your side, in the flesh…to walk with Jesus, talk with Him, hold His hands, tell Him of all your concerns and witness Him performing miracles… The apostles had it all and in today’s gospel proclamation, our Lord Jesus is preparing them for the inevitable: for the days to come when He will no more be there physically among them.

Our Lord does not plan to leave the apostles to their own devices and the reality remains the same for us today. We are not left alone to fend for ourselves in this complex world. Even though we cannot see Him nor sometimes feel Him, the assurance is that we can ask the Father in Jesus’ name for whatever we may need, and it will be given to us.

These words bring great comfort and joy to us for we believe that Jesus’ words are truth and life. However, even though His words never fail, often we find ourselves miserable, wanting and in need. Things we ask for, never seem to come our way. This controversy is due to our human nature. We ask for something, yet our hearts are not open to receive it, because we have allowed the world around us to consume us, fill us and overcrowd us. There is barely any space to accommodate anything else. We have set our eyes on valuables here on earth, we have forgotten that we have come from the Father and we must return to Him one day.

We are invited to live in this realisation, every moment of our lives, and then we will be able to fix our gaze on the right destination. As a result, our needs and wants will take a different turn and everything will fall into perspective. Then we will be inspired to ask for things according to the will of our Father and they will be given to us. Our Lord Jesus Christ made this even easier for us by coming to live in us in His resurrected glory and empowering us from within to lift our prayers and petitions through His most Holy name to the Father in heaven. Just as Apollos was open to learn the way of the Lord and in turn strengthened many believers, we are called to be blessed and be a blessing to the whole world.

Prayer: Abba Father, whatever we ask of You, let it be according to Your Holy will. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.