Church of the
Annunciation

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” --Romeo and Juliet, act 2, scene 2 by William Shakespeare. Can parting be sweet sorrow? Many in WNY were praying for Ben, a young boy with an aggressive cancer. Support coalesced in color: “Blue4Ben.” He died this past week. We can only imagine the sorrow of the Sauer Family but in her grief, the mom expressed a deep faith and hope that Ben is in heaven and a joy that Ben is with Jesus. The disciples are troubled as Jesus says goodbye. He assures them that he is going to the Father and he will come back to take them to himself that where he is they will also be. Jesus going to the Father is also Jesus coming in glory in the resurrection, in the sending of the Holy Spirit and, at the end, in the fullness of time. The disciples have a tough time getting a handle on what Jesus is saying. How can his absence also be presence? With typical honesty Thomas says: “We do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Jesus affirms: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father. A bit exasperated, Jesus reiterates that whoever sees him sees the Father. Our hearts are troubled with the closing of Annunciation Elementary School in June but this difficult time is also a season of hope and even joy. In ways that we cannot imagine Jesus will come to us and reveal the Father's love and concern. How can our hearts be troubled when Jesus is always with us?