There’s a poignant moment in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye, the loveable protagonist, stands in a train station where his beloved daughter Hodel and her fiancé are about to depart for a new life together, far away from her beloved hometown. “God only knows when we will see each other again, Papa,” Hodel says to Tevye in a tearful embrace. “Then,” Tevye replies, “we will leave it in God’s hands.”
In today’s readings, both St. Paul and Jesus bid fond farewell to those they love: St. Paul to the Ephesians, and Jesus to his dear apostles. And in the end, both entrust their dear ones to God’s care.
Leaving ones we love and care for is never easy. It wasn’t for Tevye, and it certainly wasn’t for St. Paul or for Jesus. But it’s good to know that we do no better than when we ultimately entrust those we love to the tender care of God.
—Fr. Raymond Guiao, S.J. serves as President of St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland OH.