My departure will be your enrichment.

It is said that many an enemy of Christ has broken his teeth or broken his bonds against the Church. Perhaps there is some truth in this. Many have wished for the death, the demise of the Church, which is the work of Jesus Christ, but which is governed by the Holy Spirit through the visible head, the hierarchy of the Church, headed by the Pope. In the Church, there have been times that many of the faithful have fallen into despair and fear for the Church. However, they forgot that the Church is not man’s work but of God. Therefore, it does not hurt us today to reflect on the Gospel passage and to be strengthened in our faith.

“It is better for you that I go away. If I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7).

These words must have surprised the apostles when they heard them from the Lord Jesus. He wants to depart from them. They do not understand and do not comprehend, so He explains to them that when He goes away, it will indeed only be to their benefit and the future Church until the end of the world because they will only gain by it, and this precisely by the work of the Holy Spirit. Although after Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles could have been even more convinced of the mission of the Lord Jesus, they had, however, been intoxicated by the environment and especially by the long period of waiting for the Messiah, a different idea of Jesus. There were still many unclear points left for them, and therefore his absence after his departure cured them of the earthly understanding of the teaching they had received. This will be given to them through the “intercessor,” through the third Divine Person-the Holy Spirit, a faithful God with the Father and the Son. This Holy Spirit will become the link in the invisible process between the Lord Jesus and the visible Head of the Church on earth until the end of time. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the world will recognize that it is not the Lord Jesus but the world that has committed the crime of unbelief. Thus, we can understand that the one who does not believe will condemn himself because he does not cooperate with the One who not only created this, redeemed it after the commission of sin, but also controls it until the end of the world. The world will realize that the death of the Lord Jesus is not a defeat for us; on the contrary, it is a victory. Christ’s resurrection is the most significant defeat for the unbelieving world.

Today, none of us doubts that the Holy Spirit is active. Although Jesus, our Redeemer, and Savior, has departed from us, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the whole world can progress more and more and know more deeply the person of the Lord Jesus.

We can say that although we have not met the physical Christ as a person, our faith is no less, no weaker, precisely because by the departure of the Lord Jesus to the Father, not only then in Jerusalem but also today, we have become able to receive the Holy Spirit, and under His influence, we can grow in faith and love.

How many times has the Eucharist’s mystery given us an extraordinary impulse of faith? Further, the reminder that the Holy Spirit is in me, in my brothers and sisters, powerfully confirms my belief in the one God in three divine persons. We do not see the Lord Jesus face to face here on earth is no obstacle at all. But we do believe that Jesus has promised us such an encounter. Therefore, since He also fulfilled His words surrounding His passion, death, and resurrection, we believe that our resurrection will not be a problem for Jesus.

Yes, even though we often don’t fully grasp these connections with our minds because it is still beyond our understanding today, we work and educate ourselves so that we can know as much as possible about this and give further witness to it. These difficulties will pass for us one day, and our faith will not be a difficulty but a joy in glorifying God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, foretold and communicated, is for everyone who turns to Him in faith, strength, and light on the way to eternity.

We have boldly laid aside our fear for the future of the Church. Even if we do not see it in rosy colors, even if we encounter significant opposition and hatred against the Church, the words of the Lord Jesus, which have proven themselves many times over two thousand years, are valid: “… the gates of hell shall not prevail against her” (Mt 16:18).