The Sunday’s Gospel has a touching story. It features Jesus’ preparation of his disciples for his suffering and death!

What he says is in many ways too profound, too high minded for the disciples to understand. But let’s take a look anyway.

It helps to see that the structure of the reading is fairly simple.

First Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Obviously they are upset, so it is a kindly directive. And second, he elaborates the reason they should not be upset, which is the essence.

His initiating statement is this: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

Notice the two levels of meaning: The first is practical: trust me, I am your friend. But the second requires much more consideration: I am so much at one with God that you can believe in me in exactly the way you believe in God!

Jesus then uses one of his parable-like stories to clarify.

The Father has a house somewhere with a whole lot of rooms in it. Jesus has decided to go there and prepare a spot for each of the disciples. He will come back and take them to that place so that they and Jesus will all be together again. This is a supremely consoling image, isn’t it?

But not to the disciples, who at this point are not ready to do without Jesus even for a few moments. Remember when Jesus had asked them if they were going to leave him, (John 6:60) and Peter had said, “Where would we go—you have the words of eternal life”? Now Jesus himself is the one leaving.

Again, two levels of meaning: First, where are you going? Second, you are so close to God that your death itself will be a going home to God. Help!

So he tries another explanation, extending the image. He says, “Where I am going you know the way.”

Ah, at last a practical statement that even doubting Thomas can deal with. Thomas says, “Sure, we could find a map and locate a path and follow it. But look, we can’t even know where you are going! Be practical”!

Jesus’ statement was a play on words, not “practical” in Thomas’ way. Jesus himself is “the way (the truth and the life).” This meaning is much deeper. The way to the Father is not a literal roadway but rather the person of Jesus!

Philip barks out, “Look, Master, just show us the Father and we will be satisfied”! Jesus answers, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

The apostles, practical and broken-hearted, hear mainly the pragmatic level. But Jesus coaches them on to the spiritual level.

And they are left as “ships passing in the night.”

Don’t you wish he could have said it more plainly, more simply?

Ok, but we are listening to the deepest mystery of the whole Christian faith—the way God can become a complete human being without ceasing to be God or human.

Jesus did his best to show it to the disciples in Sunday’s Gospel, with images, story, and description. Maybe it is now up to us to cling to him in prayer and contemplative listening, so that we too can move toward the answer.

Even when we are not allowed to go to Mass!