Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
SORROW WILL TURN INTO JOY
Many people are lamenting because they do not feel the presence of God, particularly in moments of deep sorrow. At the occasion of the death of a beloved person one hears often: “Where is God now? He has deserted us!” It was a thought that many Jews expressed during the “Shoah” (holocaust, literally “destruction,”). Yet, some tenaciously held on to God, saying that it was God who suffered there at the hands of people.
Reading I: Acts 18:1-8
After Athens, Paul went to Corinth. That is where he discovered Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, and his wife, Priscilla. They had just arrived from Italy, part of the general expulsion of Jews from Rome ordered by Claudius. Paul moved in with them, and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. But every Sabbath he was at the meeting place, doing his best to convince both Jews and Greeks about Jesus.
5-6 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah. But no such luck. All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. “Have it your way, then,” he said. “You’ve made your bed; now lie in it. From now on I’m spending my time with the other nations.”
7-8 He walked out and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next to the Jews’ meeting place. But Paul’s efforts with the Jews weren’t a total loss, for Crispus, the meeting-place president, put his trust in the Master. His entire family believed with him.
Gospel: Jn 16:16-20
“In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me.”
17-18 That stirred up a hornet’s nest of questions among the disciples: “What’s he talking about: ‘In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me’? And, ‘Because I’m on my way to the Father’? What is this ‘day or so’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”
19-20 Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, “Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me’? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You’re going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You’ll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness.
Prayer
Lord, our God,
when we suffer deeply
we tend to cry out:
“My God, where are you?”
Give to us, people who believe
that your Son died for us
and by your power rose from the dead,
a faith deep and strong enough
to know that you are with us
also in the difficulties and woes of life,
even in the throes of death.
Give us this faith,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reflection:
6th Week of Easter, Thursday
18 May 2023
John 16:16-20
Recognise the Lord who walks by our side
Today, Jesus foretells a period of grief followed by a period of joy for his disciples. But what are these two periods of time? The time of grief was about Christ’s passion and death when he was removed from their presence. The world rejoiced in being rid of Christ’s presence, but it was a time of sadness for the disciples. But when do the disciples see him again? Rather than pointing solely to post-Easter appearances, this seems to indicate the gift of the Spirit after the resurrection. The former sense of loss gave way to an overwhelming joy of new life.
“Seeing” or perceiving is done in many ways. There are those who do not perceive or understand anything despite having their eyes open. Then some others who can see and understand everything even when their eyes are closed. We do not have the physical presence of Jesus amidst us, yet we believe that he is present not only in the Eucharist and the Word of God, and more importantly, he walks with us in our daily lives, especially among the poor, the needy, the marginalised and the sick.
There are people who are able to perceive beyond what can be seen or touched. They discover signs of hope, life, and God’s presence, while many others see only darkness and despair. They are people who have the light and love of God in their hearts, which is why they perceive what others fail to see. They can light up the lives around them and live in joy. They see Jesus walking with us; they feel his presence in the poor, in those who are sad and lonely.
Our faith tells us that we live in an era wherein Christ is alive and experienced. Our sorrow has indeed been turned into joy. We live in the end-time through the sacraments, God’s word, and the Christian community. Faith will one day give place to vision, but in the meantime, we are not left orphans. We now live in the risen Lord. This reality should carry us through our days of sorrow and frustration. Our grief has truly been turned into joy.