A Few Words On "The Word"
April 27, 2008
6th Sunday in Easter, Year A
John 14:15-21
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
The four years you spend in high school can be both the best of times and the worst of times. On one hand, you have the exciting events: dances, football games, fun summers, and friends all around. On the flip side however there are always big disappointments that just seem to bring you down: not getting asked to a dance, not making the team, or the pain you feel when a best friend stabs you in the back.
It can be really tough to deal with disappointment when your popularity and social status seems so important to you. You may come home from school one day feeling on top of the world. The next day you may discover that something so tragic has happened in your personal life that you couldn’t possibly go on.
Highs and lows, happiness and sadness, joys and sorrows are all part of everyday life. It’s totally normal to feel conflicting emotions, sometimes about the same situation. A big part of life is working through our successes and our failures. However, to truly make it through the hard times, we have to keep our eyes on the big picture and stay focused on the things that truly matter.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reassures us once again that God is what is truly important. To help us continuously realize this Jesus says that God will send us the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit an Advocate and the Spirit of truth. As the Spirit of truth the Holy Spirit is there to help us stay focused on what’s most essential.
Having faith can truly be difficult. As Jesus stated in the Gospel, there are those around us who do not understand, accept, or believe in the amazing God that we praise. Sometimes, even when people seem to have a strong faith, they may begin to drift away when the going gets rough or something seemingly insignificant stands in their way.
The reality is that despite all the troubles we face we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us. If our focus remains on Jesus Christ then our faith should stand firm. It shouldn’t matter what happens to the Church or those around us because our faith is rooted in Jesus, not things. Our relationship with Jesus provides more for us than just a list of beliefs, it gives us life and sustains us.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s easy to forget the forest for all the trees.” When we apply this to today’s Gospel we realize that God is the forest. Even though the trees make up the forest, and are important, they shouldn’t distract us from what’s truly important…God! Our journey though life is often the same. We can’t sweat the small stuff that causes us to forget about those in need. It’s time to refocus our attention on Jesus, waiting and hoping for the promise of the Holy Spirit who will continue to guide us on our journey.
Reflection Question
What “small things” do you worry about that end up seeming very insignificant when you look back at them? How do they effect your relationship with Jesus?
Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!
