“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus says, “You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places…And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.”

Jesus’ words to his disciples are edifying and clear: he is the way, the truth, and the life, for he has prepared for us both the path to heaven and heaven itself. And while the eschatological hope of this passage is present, I think it also prompts us to consider how God prepares and guides the paths of our earthly lives as well.

If you are anything like me, you take great comfort in having a daily schedule and seeing your plans laid out neatly in iCalendar. But, if these past few months have taught me anything about calendars and plans, it is to hold them all lightly.

As I write this reflection at my childhood desk in my childhood bedroom in Louisiana, I cannot help but laugh at the unexpectedness of this season, and I wonder: how can this be the room Jesus has prepared for me, when I was supposed to be in my New Haven apartment finishing off my spring semester?

Today’s Gospel reminded me that, even when the plans of my life change unexpectedly, my vocation to love God and submit myself to him has not. These unexpected rooms we all likely find ourselves in today—these cancelled classes and masses, postponed weddings and graduations—can be fertile, sanctifying ground for holiness, trust, and patience being forged in our souls.

What Jesus beckons us to do, then, is not to fret or dwell on the vicissitudes of life, but to not let our hearts be troubled. This, my friends, is a call to gratuitous submission to God, for when we know the person of Christ, we know our vocation and ultimate beatitude. Even in our pain, our questions, our shortsighted attempts to govern our own lives and take the reins, God reminds us that he has prepared the way for us, and his way alone will bring us closer to himself and make us more and more like his Son.

If you are preparing to graduate this month or within the coming years, I encourage you to press into these rich promises Christ makes in today’s Gospel: that there is a place (a vocation, a duty) particular to you, and that Christ will lead you closer to himself and to heaven, sanctifying you in this life.