A Reflection for Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Find today’s readings here.
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? (Jn 14:1-6)
When I was in college, the choir I was in performed a piece that took its text largely from today’s Gospel reading. This was a song we sang in concert settings and Sunday evening Masses, but for better or worse, the most memorable times we sang it were at funerals.
These were somber occasions, and I both heard from loved ones present and personally felt that these words were a sliver of comfort in the midst of real pain. The vivid imagery of the text and the personal connection that Jesus makes with the listener are moving.
In asking the disciples to have faith in God and in him, Jesus promises them that there is plenty of room for them in God’s house—even a special place that he will go ahead to prepare for each one of them. This image is specific; Jesus’ description evokes a beautiful place with lots of nooks and crannies, spots where people can spread out and be comfortable—and even places prepared with us in mind by Jesus, who knows us so well.
I imagine a room adorned with pictures of my friends and family, a cozy nook where I can read and write, a space that captures my spirit and the things I love. What a beautiful idea to consider: a place in God’s own home that is just for me.
It’s comforting to think about yourself there, and in these funeral settings, I also observed how comforting it was to those who had lost someone they love. They’re devastated that they won’t share the same loving moments with this person, but at least they can imagine the deceased entering into a place of warmth, comfort and peace—the likes of which are much better with God than what we can access or even picture on earth.
Finding comfort in Scripture is a great thing. In praying with this reading, though, there’s also an opportunity for challenge. If God prepares a room for us and for our family and friends, he also prepares a room for the people who are difficult for us to love. If you take away one thing for your day, spend some time imagining God readying a place for someone you struggle to get along with, someone you’ve been holding a grudge against or someone from whom you’ve grown distant. Imagine how the mental picture of that comfortable place, close to God’s heart, might transform you.
