Commentary on the Gospel of
The Presence that Hinders
We continue with the theme of letting God go, which we reflected on before (cf. May 17th). Today Jesus says that it is better that he goes away so that the Helper can come. Does it mean that his continual presence would hinder their spiritual growth? It sounds like blasphemy, but it also points to a deeper truth. John of the Cross speaks of the various phases of our spiritual growth, with one such phase being the dark night. In the dark night, God disappears from our sensual and spiritual realms. Oh, don’t we suffer then! But it is a necessary passage that we “lose” God in order to “find” Him at a greater depth and intimacy. It is better for us that God withdraws from us so that we will be forced to get rid of the various images and idols we have made of Him, and be led to a deeper union with Him.
