Gospel: John 16: 23-28
When any passage is taken out of context it can cause great harm and confusion. Such is the case with Jesus' statement in today's Gospel portion wherein he states that you will receive whatever you ask from God in Jesus' name. Countless people have taken this phrase literally and have asked for all sorts of things: a cure for cancer, winning the lottery, peace in the Middle East, the Lions winning the Super Bowl. And like the child who does not get the pony she asked for from Santa Claus, we lose faith in God when what we ask does not come to fruition.
But throughout this farewell discourse the main idea has been love. Love is both the command we have received and the gift God has bestowed on us in Jesus. If we possess this love, then we have everything, and nothing else matters. Does this mean we will not face calamities and dark times? No, it means that they cannot take away God's love from our life. It means that no matter what happens God is present to us in our lives and continues to love us.
We may not get our pony, or cure, or the cessation of war, or a Super Bowl for our team. But we will have God's love and presence in our lives whether we have these things or not. Having these things is not a sign God's love is present, and not having them is not a sign of God's absence. God is present and God is love always and everywhere.
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