For me, goodbyes remain a mystery.

I remember a very dear sister who once told me, “You are loved. Share that love.” After a few weeks, she passed away. Only then did I realize that those words were her farewell to me — her habilin.

She did not want simply to be remembered. She wanted me to remember something greater: that I am loved, worthy, and precious just as I am.

What a painfully beautiful goodbye.

Some people leave this world, yet remain deeply present in the hearts they touched. Recently, as we remembered her first death anniversary, I could still hear her familiar words echoing within me: “Kaya mo ’yan, ikaw pa ba?” — “You can do this. I know you can.”

Perhaps this is what Jesus wanted His disciples to feel before His departure. As He prepared to leave them, He did not want fear to remain in their hearts. He wanted them to feel secure, loved, and never abandoned.

Confirming His presence, He promised them a precious gift, like a valuable inheritance left by someone departing from this world: the Holy Spirit. The precious gift of the love of the Father and the Son.

This Sunday, we move closer to Pentecost, and Jesus wants to assure His disciples that they are deeply loved. They cannot be left behind. They will not be abandoned. We move closer to receiving that precious gift who will inspire, strengthen, and push us to share the same love we have received.

Next Sunday will be Ascension Sunday. The disciples will be sent to the nations to proclaim the Good News of Christ. There will be a great mission ahead, together with great challenges and struggles too. Yet the assurance found in those goodbyes will also be the assurance they will hold onto.

Goodbyes are painful, yet they can also become beautiful expressions of communion — a love that remains, a love entrusted to others to continue.

For a long time, I did not understand why my beloved sister had to leave so soon. She was my guide, my inspiration, and a true sister who knew and loved me deeply. I wondered why she had to leave us “orphans.”

But then I remembered her words:
“You are loved. Share that love.”

And perhaps that is also Jesus’ invitation to us today.

To love and be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
To love in a way that makes Christ alive in the world.
To love so deeply that even our goodbyes become witnesses of hope.

 

Reina del Carmelo Community- Lucena, Philippines