Friday 26 May 2017
St Phillip Neri. Day of Penance.
Acts 18: 9-18. Psalms 46(47): 2-7. John 16:20-23.
God is king of all the earth — Psalms 46(47): 2-7.
‘Your sadness will turn to joy.’
Jesus is about to face Calvary. He is preparing his followers for what lies ahead. The great creative work of our salvation will require him to suffer. The little time of separation between Jesus and his friends will be filled with tears and pain.
Every mother knows there is a moment before her child is born when it seems that there is only pain, effort and helplessness, of being swept along in the natural course of events. All this fades with the birth of her baby and is replaced by the overwhelming joy of new life.
The joy of Christ’s resurrection is for his disciples and for us the powerful proof of God’s love for us. It is the assurance of new life, eternal and already begun, born out of pain and tears but resulting in a joy that can never be taken away.
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