We have entered the month of May, which marks a popular time of transition for many. Here, I am thinking of all graduates of high school, college, and beyond, in particular. After years of reliable routine of their studies and their social lives, these soon-to-be graduates are treading into uncertain waters. Those still discerning which path to take may feel uncertain amidst their peers who know what's next for them. Yet, even those who have their next step 'mapped out' can't possibly predict everything their next chapter will bring, either. Further, one doesn't have to be graduating to be in a period of uncertainty. Indeed, these are unavoidable and, at times, unpredictable times. They are also uncomfortable times.

In today's Gospel, John recounts the Last Supper, during which the disciples were being faced with much uncertainty and confusion. Recall that immediately before today's passage (John 14), John's thirteenth chapter recounts Jesus' washing his disciples' feet, the foretelling of Peter's denial, and Jesus' identification of his betrayer, not to mention how Jesus was turning the entire Passover meal upside down. Can you imagine how confused and uncertain the disciples must have felt? To have followed Jesus for years only to be met with these unpredictable movements? 

Jesus senses his disciples' hearts are heavy and knows the coming hours will be an incredible period of transition for them. He proclaims: Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

In my experience, this is easier said than done! And yet, here Jesus speaks as one who possesses a greater scope of view that gives him the confidence to convey this charge - like a parent comforting a child who is enduring something that, the parent knows, will come out alright. 

In our times of transition and uncertainty, let us trust in Jesus' words to his disciples. Let not our hearts be troubled, but instead let our hearts delight that a place is being prepared for us.