Passage
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 (DRB)
Nearby Context
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: because he shall receive of mine and shall shew it to you.
John 16:15 All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine. Therefore I said that he shall receive of me and shew it to you.
John 16:16 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 16:17 Then some of his disciples said one to another: What is this that he saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, Because I go to the Father?
John 16:18 They said therefore: What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he speaketh.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "little", "shall", "again", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 15's "All things whatsoever the Father hath are..." into verse 17's "Then some of his disciples said one...", so "little" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "little" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.