Commentary of the Gospell

May 17, 2022

Letting Go

Authentic, mature, true love lets go of the beloved. To cling to the other is a sign of immaturity, insecurity, and the dread of losing the other. There are parents who love their children “so much” that they cannot even think of letting them move to another city; or couples who cannot bear the absence of each other, even for a day. The truth is, sooner or later, we get suffocated within such relationship, we grow stunted, and we break up.

The same applies to our relationship with God as well. Jesus tells the disciples: “If you loved me, you would be glad that I go.” To Mary Magdalene he says, “Do not cling to me” (Jn 20: 17). And, once we let the other “be”, the other comes back to us in freedom and in greater presence. As Jesus says, “I am going away, but I am coming to you.” If only we let God be!

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - Claretian Publications Philippines