Departing with Care - Weekday Homily Video

I have a question for you…how does your family handle goodbyes? My family seems to have adopted the procrastination technique of being the last to leave a cookout or party, or even on phone calls, having one more story that rekindles the conversation…but parting and farewells, as much as we might want to avoid them, are a part of life.

Today’s readings continue the two emotional farewells that began yesterday. In the first reading, Paul gathers the elders of Ephesus for one last meeting. In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays to the Father on the night before his Passion.

Both Paul and Jesus know that with their departure, suffering will follow. Perhaps like you’ve experienced, they’re deeply concerned, not for themselves, but for the people they love and serve.

Paul speaks with the tenderness of a spiritual father. He reminds the elders that the Holy Spirit has made them shepherds of the flock. He warns them that difficulties will come, that “savage wolves” will threaten the community, and that they must remain vigilant. Yet his words are not fearful or bitter. They are filled with trust. “I commend you to God,” he says, placing the Church not in human hands alone, but in God’s care.

Love in Entrustment

What makes this scene so moving and relatable is the affection between Paul and the people. They weep openly because they know they will not see him again. Their grief reveals something important: Paul didn’t simply preach to these people; he loved them. He shared their struggles, worked among them, prayed with them, and suffered for them. His departure hurts because real love always leaves a lasting mark on our hearts.

Likewise, Jesus prepares to leave his disciples. His prayer reveals his love. Again and again, Jesus speaks about those whom the Father has entrusted to him. He knows the confusion and fear the disciples will face after his departure. Yet he does not ask the Father to remove them from the world. Instead, he prays that they will be protected and sanctified within it.

That distinction matters. We, Christians, are not called to escape the world, but to remain faithful in it. Jesus knows his followers, we and all Christians will encounter hostility, temptation, and division.

But he desires something greater than safety: he desires holiness. “Sanctify them in the truth,” he prays. His concern is not merely that we survive, but that we become fully consecrated to God’s mission.

Finding Peace in Goodbyes

Both readings remind us that love often expresses itself most powerfully in moments of letting go. Paul must leave the people of the churches he built. Jesus must leave his disciples through the Cross and Ascension. Neither clings possessively to those in their care. Instead, they entrust them to God.

This is a reminder and lesson for all of us, whether as a parent, adult child, priest, teacher, mentor, or friend.

There comes a time when we cannot control or fully protect the people we love. Faith means learning to place others in God’s hands… it means trusting that the Lord loves and cares for them even more than we do.

And we can find peace in this... for Jesus prays not only for the disciples in today’s Gospel, but for all who belong to him. Right now, Christ is interceding for us. Right now, he’s watching over we…his flock.

My brothers and sisters, we are never alone in our moments of fear and sadness… the same Lord who cared for Paul’s churches and prayed for the apostles continues to guide and protect His Church.

So as we reflect on these words of farewell and, at times, struggle to face our goodbyes, we’re reminded that Christian love does not end in absence. For united in God, love is strengthened and endures, from this life to the next in Heaven.

• Today’s Readings
  
  
• Father David’s inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center today. You can watch the entire Mass on the Family Rosary Video streams channel on YouTube.
  
  
• Join the Rosary (11:30 am ET) and Mass (Noon ET) livestreams on the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page, Monday – Friday. Invite your friends and family to pray with you as well.