We have been listening to Jesus’ farewell words to the apostles at the Last Supper. These are his last catechesis. He speaks about his passion, death, and resurrection. It seems that at that moment the apostles did not comprehend all that he was announcing.
In John’s Gospel there are five chapters full of material that the evangelist has recorded for us. That is a wealth of material regarding catechesis, farewell, final indications, prayer, missionary vocation, and personal relationship with Jesus. From a human perspective, one would expect this to be a rather sad moment. Sort of like reading one’s last will to the family before you die. Yet Jesus’ words are full of hope and peace.
The Last Supper is a Passover meal. It is centered in the profound joy of experiencing God’s saving and liberating action in the life of the community principally for the Exodus experience but also through all the centuries of Israel’s history. It is a moment when the community and family remember, share, and renew their personal and communal experience of God’s action in their lives. Jesus’ farewell is not a sad end moment or a sad reading of last will. Rather it is a testament of faith and hope. Today Jesus centers all his farewell comments in one point: joy.
He experiences the constant loving care of God the Father through the centuries and as a result looks out into the future with a sense of hope, peace, and joy. He specifically tells the apostles that the underlaying motive for all his words is to incorporate them into that experience of abiding joy. That is the joy of the community of the Holy Trinity. As Christians our baptism inserts us into that living experience of joy.
We live in a culture of death, sadness, and depression. We all have difficult days – that sometimes stretch out into seasons or months. But sadness is not the basic underlaying foundation of life for a Christian. There just cannot be a permanently sad Christian. The joy of God’s love for us and our incorporation into the resurrection make us all sign of joy. This is not a frivolous joy or passing emotional joy but rather a joy rooted in our experience. Be active signs of joy!
I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.
Image: CANVA CJ Dunn 02 May 2026 AI generated.