(Audio)
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
Our grief has been turned to joy in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has kept his word and seen us again, filling our hearts with joy (see John 16:22). He has sent his Holy Spirit into our hearts, giving us love, joy, peace, and all of us fruits.
Why then do we experience sorrow and pain? In spite of the superabundance of the gift we do not always experience the joy of the LORD. Sometimes the LORD feels distant from us. In this world the experience of the cycles of the Paschal mystery are still necessary and unavoidable for us. We must enter again and again into his dying and so experience more and more fully the power of his resurrection. This is our 'little while' until the fullness of joy is revealed in the places he goes ahead to prepare for us.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
We have joy. Importantly, we also have hope underlying our joy. Hope tells us that even when God seems distant and joy impossible that Good Friday always leads to Easter Sunday. Easter leads inexorably to ascension into the Father's house, to many mansions, to the table in the presence of our enemies, to peace forever.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
Like Paul we encounter setbacks. Perhaps we are even opposed and reviled. Our hope allows us to shake out our garments and get back to work. Our joy in this freedom is compelling. We do not despair and others can see the hope that keeps us moving.
and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.
Jesus, remind us of our hope and send your joy more and more into our hearts. When we encounter difficulties we unite them to your cross so that you can bring us even more into your own newness of life.
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