I am going away…but since you love me, my going away should be a cause for your rejoicing because I am going to the Father who will then send me back to you with good gifts. The somewhat lengthy address by Jesus to his disciples at their last meal together (cf. John 13:1-17:26), otherwise known as the farewell discourse, are words of comfort that he gave them as he prepared them for his impending passion and death. Jesus was aware of the devastation that his passion and death would bring to his disciples. Not only had the disciples demonstrated on a consistent manner a lack of comprehension concerning the nature of Jesus’ messiahship or their own calling, they had also shown that they were not yet ready to take the reigns of the movement if Jesus was to be suddenly removed from their midst. In addition, the violent nature of Jesus execution would only serve to justify their hesitation and fear. Although Jesus’ words in the farewell discourse would not in any way fill the void that his departure was going to create, he hoped that the disciples would at least find some solace in them and perhaps begin to understand the nature of their calling. 
When on this Sixth Sunday of Easter we are presented with a portion of Jesus’ farewell discourse in the Gospel Reading, this is done in the context of the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord. Just like Jesus’ passion and death, the event of the Ascension meant that Jesus was once again going to be physically separated from his disciples. And even though this “second” departure of Jesus was not going to be like the “first” one which had been violent and forceful, it was still going to fall hard on the disciples. Jesus’ resurrection and subsequent appearances had managed to help the frightened disciples put behind them the difficult days that had followed Jesus’ violent execution. It is even possible that the disciples had started to think that the rough days were finally over, that with Jesus overcoming the powers of death, everything was back to normal. Indeed, Jesus’ resurrection was a new dawn for the disciples since it opened their eyes to possibilities that they had not thought existed. As the story of their progress in the Acts of the Apostles makes it clear, the disciples would go on to proclaim the kingdom with courage and zeal that they had not exhibited when they were with Jesus. But before that could happen, they had to overcome the last hurdle that would be thrown their way by Jesus’ removal from their midst. They had to come to terms with, and embrace their call in the absence of Jesus. The disciples had to be ready to embrace and own the mission with which Jesus was soon entrusting them. 
Although the disciples had been around Jesus over a period of three or so years as they witnessed him in action, they were not yet where Jesus would have wanted them to be. They were still struggling with their identity as people who had committed themselves to the cause for which they had been summoned. Retaining their identity as followers of Jesus in the physical absence of their master was going to demand a lot from them. They would need to do a lot of adjustment in their approach of their call. This was going to be the phase where they had to implement the teachings they had received from Jesus. This was going to be their “testing” phase, for unlike the earlier days when most of the things thrown their way would be absorbed by their master, they would not have to make it on their own. They had to be ready to carry their crosses in the footsteps of their master. They had to be aware that it was for the cause of the movement that their master would be killed. If they would stay true to the movement and proclaim the good news of their master, they too would, without any doubt, undergo persecution. 
Jesus’ “comforting words” to the disciples that make up the farewell discourse was more of a proactive measure on the part of Jesus. Even if the disciples had not shared with him their thoughts, he could sense their feelings. He had to make it clear to them that he had to go away, not out of lack of concern for their welfare, but because he loved and cared for them. Instead of grieving and being saddened by his going away, they needed to rejoice since he was going to the Father, the giver of all good things. Moreover, he was not going to leave them without a caretaker. The Father would send them the Holy Spirit who would not only console them but also encourage and give them strength: “I have to go so that the Father can send you the consoler, for unless the consoler comes, the looming events will overwhelm you.” 
Jesus understood the uphill task that lay ahead of the disciples. He was aware of the many obstacles that they would have to overcome in their efforts to retain their identity as his partners in mission. He also realized that the disciples would need some help if they were to succeed in their mission. The help that the disciples need was going to come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit whom the Father was going to send to them. Not only would the Holy Spirit strengthen, encourage, and help them remain united to their master, the Holy Spirit would also remind them of the teachings of their master and thus enable them to continue with the mission. The Spirit that the Father was going to send to the disciples was to help them cope with, and make sense of the situation into which they would be thrust and in so doing cultivate the peace which Jesus had breathed upon them.