Goodbye – Adieu

A young woman told me this week that she does not mind having to say  good bye.  For her, it is a thank you for the nice time she had,  and a looking forward to the  next meeting.

I have to admit that I do not like goodbyes, those awful goodbyes of childhood, the American wakes as we called them, literally going to the cross roads and saying what was often a forever goodbye. I dislike greatly the “goodbye” of the Weakest Link when fools are not suffered gladly – who among us is all wise or,  on occasion,  not a little foolish?

Today Jesus says goodbye to the Apostles and then “they went back to Jerusalem full of joy.” How come they were full of joy after the goodbye.

“Goodbye” comes from “God –be-with-you. So this is a different goodbye. It is truly Adieu – to God.  Jesus is God with us,  from now until eternity. The goodbye is only temporary so that the Spirit, the spirit which is in Him can come to us.

Fr. Michael McCullagh, CM

20th May, 2007