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In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, may it be so. Well, dear brothers, in this theme of the gospel that we have just heard in Saint John chapter 16,
so it is before the Passion, it is Holy Thursday evening,
our Lord Jesus Christ clearly manifests the thoughts of the apostles who speak among themselves,
but Jesus, who has a keen ear, even there, even when they do not speak,
he knows what we think internally; in the gospel, this is manifested repeatedly. Sometimes Jesus Christ says, but why do you think in your heart? Here, it is not only in the heart, but through words,
that the apostles are saying to each other, but what is he saying to us?

In a little while you will no longer see me, and then in a little while you will see me. They do not know what he is talking about. So, no matter how much they reason among themselves, they do not grasp the essence of Jesus Christ's thoughts,
as if Jesus were playing hide and seek. Indeed, Jesus plays hide and seek with them.

He plays like with children, who sometimes leave the children in distress. And so, our Lord Jesus Christ, yes, he is mysterious in fact. And Jesus Christ, throughout our lives, like for the apostles, he is very mysterious. Sometimes we do not understand the word of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes even, we see it with the appearances of the resurrected Christ. Jesus also plays hide and seek. Mary Magdalene sees Jesus, but does not recognize him. The disciples of Emmaus see Jesus and they do not see Jesus.

As if he were hiding from their eyes. Yet, he is very visible. They hear his voice, but they do not see him. And for us, my dear brothers, it is the same in our lives.

Let us strive to go deeper. And how will we see Jesus? Certainly by digging into the spirit of faith, hope, and charity. So, let us explain a little this word that is so profound, which is so dense and mysterious at the same time.

So, our Lord Jesus Christ says, indeed, you say, and I will explain this word to you, in a little while you will no longer see me. And then, in a little while you will see me again. Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ, one day after he said this word, dies. And he is even hidden in the tomb.

He disappears from their eyes after being mistreated, slapped, spat upon, ridiculed, and put to death. And Jesus is placed in the tomb. He hides from his apostles. And for them, it is a great distress.

A deep sorrow. Jesus is hidden, even physically, by a stone that is in front of the tomb. And Jesus is invisible. Jesus, who is God, Jesus, who is God, has hidden himself from his apostles in the crucifixion.

He does not even have the appearance of a man. He hides. He hides. And very few are present at the foot of the cross.

Our Lady, Saint John, Mary Magdalene, a few women. So, a few faithful. And the rest are the wicked. Some convert, like the good thief.

So, Jesus truly hides. He has hidden his divinity. He even hides his humanity. As the prophet Isaiah had well said.

I am a worm and not a man. The rejection of the people, the reproach of all. He has genuinely hidden himself. In a little while, and you will no longer see me.

And the word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is indeed true. There is a little while longer and you will see me. And here, it is the resurrection. Our Lord Jesus Christ appears to his apostles.

They think they see a ghost. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who, to prove that he is not a ghost, but truly himself,
shows his wounds. "Touch my hands. Touch my feet.

Put your hand," he says to Thomas,
the doubter, the Sunday after Easter. "Put your hand in my side. Do not be doubting, but have faith. Be faithful.

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At that moment, the apostles, as Jesus Christ, enter through all doors closed in the Cenacle,
they are very afraid. They think they see a ghost. And Jesus says to them, children, the familiarity, the sweetness, the meekness of Jesus Christ, the goodness. They are so afraid.

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A ghost does not eat. A pure spirit does not eat. And Jesus eats. Does he need to eat?

He does not have the risen nature at all. But it is to show that it is indeed him. He has his body. He looks at the wounds.

And he shows his wounds. Indeed, his wounds are no longer painful. They are glorious. But he keeps his wounds.

To show that it is truly him and not another. At that moment again, after the miraculous catch of fish,
our Lord Jesus Christ shows himself to his apostles. He has even prepared a little breakfast after a night of fishing
where the apostles caught nothing. They are exhausted.

Discouraged. And then this miraculous catch of fish. And Jesus Christ, in his condescension, in his kindness, this extreme kindness, that of God, the goodness of God,
our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a comfort for his apostles. In a little while, and you will see me again.

So that, he says, the purpose of being seen again by his apostles,
Jesus Christ says it very well,
so that your joy may be complete. And joy is an effect of charity, which is God. It is one of the first effects, one of the first fruits of charity that Saint Paul enumerates as being a sweet fruit of charity. Charity, peace, joy.

So that your joy may be complete. And he takes an example. An example drawn from childbirth. I will read the gospel again.

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The disciples of Jesus Christ weep on the day of the Passion. They are in complete despair. And the world, in the sense that it belongs to the devil, will rejoice because they think that the victory against God is complete. Let us not forget, because it is also for us, this world that has crucified God, that has rejected God from society, from all the laws,
well rejoices saying God is dead, and the world will rejoice.

But it is a false joy. A false joy. It is not true joy. It is a bad joy, a joy of the devil.

So you will be in grief, but your grief will be turned into joy. We see it with the beautiful appearance of Jesus Christ to the disciples of Emmaus. And it is the second Alleluia. Jesus Christ says to the disciples of Emmaus, it was necessary for Christ to suffer and thus enter into his glory.

Hita. And the Gregorian chant insists. We will take up the verse of the Alleluia, the Hita. Thus.

We insist on this opposition, between passion and glory. But it is thus, through passion, the cross, death, that he enters into glory. And Jesus takes away the sadness of these disciples of Emmaus who were disappointed, upset. They are returning home, their hearts wounded, full of sadness.

And Jesus, who they do not recognize, says to them, but why are you sad? And Jesus will change that sadness into joy. And it will take a long journey. He will have to explain the Holy Scriptures.

So I come to this example that Jesus Christ gives. It is a little parable. There is only one parable left. And mothers know what it is about.

When a woman gives birth, she has sorrow. Because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a son, she no longer remembers the suffering. So I see that she has given birth to a man.

So men do not know this. But the ladies, the mothers know this truth of the Gospel. And it is indeed true. They forget the sadness, the pain, the suffering, the pain they had in giving birth to a child.

So happy they are to have brought life into the world. To have given birth. Our Lord Jesus Christ knows well what it is about. For he has spiritually, supernaturally, given birth to us, by divine life, through his death.

Baptism is a resurrection after the death of the soul. There is a resurrection. And priests also know a little, in a figurative way, this truth when it comes to giving birth to souls into the world of spiritual, supernatural, divine life. A conversion.

It is a bit of a birth. A birth. So Jesus Christ also says, you therefore, now, you are in sadness, dejection. They do not understand the passion, the trial, the coming death of Jesus Christ.

But I will see you again. He announces his resurrection. And the forty days of his appearances, so important these appearances. Let us take advantage, dear brothers, to read, during this time, after Easter, we are a little half through now,
of all these appearances where Jesus comforts the apostles, the disciples, the holy women.

He spends time with them, with her, to revive their faith, so that your hearts may rejoice. And no one, it is the conclusion of the gospel, it is the last verse, Saint John, chapter 26, verse 22. And no one will take your joy from you. No one.

Well, dear brothers, we are in this state of mind, in this Easter time,
that no one may take our joy away, because Jesus lives in our souls. So let the trials, the temptations, the sorrows, the difficulties, of all kinds, whatever they may be,
well, do not affect our joy. It is very important, because joy is an effect of charity, and charity is God. So let us ask our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given this joy to the disciples, to the apostles, to the holy women,
to give us this same joy in turn.

No one will take your joy from you. Let us ask the Virgin Mary, who is our Lady, for joy, for Christian joy. Because Christian charity, of divine life, to give us this inner and outer joy. The Christian is a joyful person, not an exuberant person, in the worldly sense,
who laughs for nothing, who jokes around.

Saint Paul said, be careful, of buffoonery, these are not fruits of the Holy Ghost, but the opposite. The fruits of the devil, on the contrary, the fruits of the Holy Ghost, I conclude on this,
are charity, peace, joy, meekness, harmony, humility, modesty, etc. It is the fruits of the Holy Ghost that Saint Paul enumerates well in the Epistle. So let us ask God to keep this inner and outer joy, for our Lord Jesus Christ is risen.

And we have, we are resurrected. Through baptism, through communion, through the sacrament of penance, of the sacraments,
restoring this joy that we may have lost through our sins, so be it. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, so be it.