The Church, in her maternal wisdom, continues in Paschal joy on this Third Sunday after Easter, yet she turns our gaze inward—to the soul in pilgrimage, to the struggle of virtue in a hostile world. The texts from 1 Peter 2:11–19 and John 16:16–22 intertwine beautifully, calling us to live as strangers in the world, awaiting the joy that is promised “after a little while.”
The Pilgrim and the Stranger (1 Peter 2:11–19)
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul…” (1 Pet 2:11)
St. Peter’s words are an exhortation to Christian dignity—rooted in exile. The Apostle reminds us that we are not at home here; the true Christian is peregrinus, a pilgrim and a foreigner, never fully at ease in this fallen world. St. Augustine in his City of God echoes this:
“So long as the heavenly city is a pilgrim on earth, she calls out citizens from all nations and gathers a society of strangers speaking all languages” (De Civitate Dei, XVIII, 54).
Here, the Christian life is likened to the journey of Israel in the desert, a time of testing and purification, where carnal desires must be resisted because they “war against the soul.” St. John Chrysostom exhorts his hearers to vigilance:
“A soldier does not concern himself with markets or baths or perfumes. The soldier of Christ must abstain from these things, for the war is continual” (Homilies on 1 Peter, Hom. VI).
Yet Peter also teaches us to live honorably even among those who do not believe, that our conduct may be an unspoken testimony. Even suffering unjustly becomes meritorious when borne with patience for conscience’ sake before God (v.19). Here the Church prepares us to understand the Cross not as defeat, but as the path to victory—echoing the very Paschal mystery we continue to celebrate.
“A Little While” – The Hidden Christ (John 16:16–22)
In the Gospel, Our Lord speaks tenderly but mysteriously to His disciples:
“A little while, and now you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16)
These words are enigmatic, and the disciples, like us, do not immediately grasp their meaning. St. Cyril of Alexandria interprets this “little while” as referring both to the short time until the Resurrection and to the hidden presence of Christ in the sacramental and mystical life of the Church:
“Even though He is absent from sight, Christ is with us through the Spirit. The Church rejoices not only because He is risen, but because He remains within her.” (Commentary on John, Book XI)
Indeed, this “little while” becomes the very rhythm of Christian life—the space between trial and triumph, absence and presence, sorrow and joy. It is a Paschal waiting, filled with hope.
St. Augustine captures the eschatological tension beautifully:
“This ‘little while’ is this whole present life. It seems long to us because it is still going on, but when it is over, we shall see how short it was.” (Tractates on John, Tract. 101)
The sorrow of the disciples at the Lord’s departure prefigures the suffering of the Church in time, but He promises that this sorrow will be turned into joy. Not just any joy—but a joy that no man shall take from us (v.22). This is the joy of union with the Risen Christ, the joy that is tasted even now in the Holy Eucharist, in the grace of perseverance, and finally in the Beatific Vision.
Living in the “Little While”
As the Church chants today in the Introit, “Jubilate Deo omnis terra: alleluia.”—“Shout with joy to God, all the earth: alleluia.”—we are reminded that our present trials are not the final word. Even as strangers and pilgrims, we already share in the joy of Christ’s Resurrection.
St. Gregory the Great urges us:
“Let us not be saddened by our exile, but long for the homeland; and may the very weariness of our journey inflame our desire for rest.” (Homilies on the Gospels, Hom. 14)
In the spirit of Dominica III Post Pascha, the Church encourages us to hold fast in the tension: to live chastely, justly, and devoutly in this world, knowing that we await the vision of the One who now is hidden—yet already victorious. Our joy is born not of circumstance, but of the promise: “You shall see Me again.”
Suggested Spiritual Exercise:
Spend ten minutes meditating on the phrase “a little while” from John 16:16. Ask the Lord to help you see your present sufferings and uncertainties in the light of eternity. Conclude with the Regina Caeli, rejoicing in Our Lady’s share in the Resurrection and her intercession for us pilgrims below.