The gospel for Monday of the seventh week of Easter is taken from John 16:29, 33. The disciples said to Jesus, now you are talking plainly and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this, we believe that you came from God. Jesus answered them. Do you believe?

Now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home. And you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world.

You will have trouble. But take courage. I have conquered the world. Jesus knows his disciples. He loves them. And he recognizes that they need something that he and only he can give them as he returns to the Father and then sends the Holy Spirit.

And one of the gifts that he wants them to have is faith. They think they have it now in this story. And what it is is nothing more than a decision. I believe that you are who you say you are. But when the test comes, there’s something quite different. The response is not, I believe, but I’m afraid.

I don’t know what’s going to happen. So I want us to think that faith is not simply a knowledge that something is true or not. But it’s really a gift, a transformation, a gift of the Holy Spirit poured into us. And we can accept anything because we believe the words that Jesus really said. I have conquered the world. You will never be destroyed.

Please reflect on these scriptures. And then I will close with a prayer, the closing prayer. Father, your teaching is always calling us to become who you long for us to be. And we have to be careful and help us not to figure it out as something that we have to do or have to have, but something we have got to be given, we have to receive. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.