Gospel (Jn 16,16-20) - At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: «A little while and you will no longer see me; a little longer and you will see me." Then some of his disciples said to each other, "What is this that says to us, 'A little while and you will not see me;' a little longer and you will see me", and: "I am going to the Father"? They therefore said: «What is this “a little” of which he speaks? We don't understand what it means." Jesus understood that they wanted to question him and said to them: «You are investigating among yourselves because I said: “A little while and you will not see me; a little longer and you will see me”? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and groan, but the world will rejoice. You will be sad, but your sadness will be changed into joy."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

«A little while and you will no longer see me; a little longer and you will see me." The disciples are a little disoriented by these words, but Jesus, in reality, wants to indicate to them his death and resurrection. This is the meaning of his distance which will soon transform into a much deeper closeness than the physical one they have been experiencing until then. Jesus is talking about his death and resurrection, but before the disciples are overwhelmed by disappointment and discouragement he wants to explain to them that that painful tear, represented by his departure from the earth to return to the Father, is not actually a separation. After his death the resurrection will come. It is the victory of life over death. This victory allows you to conquer every distance. What matters for the disciples, then and today, is to continue to seek Jesus and desire to be close to him. The Apostles seem disconcerted by these paradoxical words: how can physical distance become even closer proximity? Jesus does not leave that confusion unanswered. And he tells them that the pain and sadness of his departure will become a prayer of invocation capable of changing the sadness of distance into the joy of rediscovered closeness. In fact, after the ascension of Jesus to the Father, every man and every woman, in every corner of the earth, can have the Lord next to them and invoke him with prayer: the Lord will speak to their hearts through his Word, the Eucharist and the love of the community.