I am deathly afraid of rollercoasters—a hereditary trait passed down from my mother. But one summer years ago, we took a family trip to a theme park that she had been to many times as a child. Despite her fear, my mother would ride one roller coaster there, “The Beast” (accurately named), and she convinced me to try it for myself.
My mother explained that she could ride “The Beast” because she knew all the parts of the rollercoaster’s path, from start to end. As I looked up at the terrifying wooden trellises in front of us, she took the time to describe what I could expect to experience at each twist and turn. She was patient, and her description calmed my fears.
It must have been quite the emotional rollercoaster for the disciples following Jesus’ death and resurrection. I can only imagine the gut-wrenching sorrow and loss they must have felt when Jesus died on the cross. Then, they experienced the greatest joy of Jesus’ resurrection only three days later—and now Jesus is preparing to leave them, again?

Unsurprisingly, the disciples were confused and scared about what was to come next. I am struck by how Jesus responds to them in the face of this new grief: he takes time to explain to the disciples what lies ahead. Like a loving, attentive parent, Jesus describes the coming of the Holy Spirit to his disciples to calm their fears and give them peace about the path in front of them.
My ride on “The Beast” was one of the most exhilarating and terrifying experiences of my childhood. Whether or not I will ever set foot on another roller coaster in my life is up for debate. Regardless, I am thankful for my mother, who, like Jesus in today’s gospel, patiently provided me with reassuring guidance and encouragement in my moment of fear and uncertainty.