I am of the opinion that there is no worse experience in life than that of waiting. Whether it is a matter of sitting in a reception room before an appointment or standing on a corner looking for a bus, waiting is never easy. When I was a child, I didn’t like waiting for my birthday to come around. Shortly after my birthday, I had to start waiting for Christmas.
However, one thing that I think I learned as I grew older is that waiting is a positive experience of faith. If the bus were not going to come eventually, I wouldn’t wait for it. If the doctor was not going to see me, then I wouldn’t be waiting for my name to be called. This particular viewpoint came to me one day as I was reading from the prophet Habbakuk whose opening verses ask the question: “How long, O LORD, must I cry for help and you do not listen?” My first reaction was to be somewhat uncomfortable that the prophet was challenging God. However, as I read further, I came to understand that Habbakuk was asking the question because he really believed that God was listening.
Jesus tells the disciples today that they have to wait. He cannot tell them everything because they would not be able to handle the information were he to reveal what was going to happen on the next day. He is speaking to them on that fateful Thursday evening and preparing them for the events of the next few days. They had been through quite a bit with him over the past few months, but the events that we now call the Sacred Triduum would shake their faith in him. However, once it was all over with, the Spirit would come to them and would guide them to the truth.
It is obvious from St. Paul’s preaching in the first reading that our ancestors had a much harder time of it than we do. Look how long they waited for the promise of a Messiah. On the other hand, we have placed our faith in Jesus and are sure that his promises will come to pass. So it is all right if once in a while we utter those fateful words, “How long must I wait, O Lord, before you answer my prayers.” We are simply stating that we believe that eventually, the promise to listen and to hear will be fulfilled.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator