Grief Turning into Joy

Today's Reflections 

      

Grief Turning into Joy

Jn 16:16-20

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ¹⁶“A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me.” ¹⁷So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ [of which he speaks]? We do not know what he means.” ¹⁹Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? ²⁰Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

A little While. The “a little while” expression used by John in the Gospel is a veiled reference to Jesus’ approaching death and resurrection. Jesus’ departure will be a blessing to his disciples. He is leaving them momentarily to go to the Father who, in turn, will send them the promised Holy Spirit. In a sense, Jesus will continue to be present to them in the Holy Spirit. They will grieve when he leaves, but only for a little while. Their grief will turn into joy.

The disciples of Jesus will feel that pain which is life-giving. But this pain is only a passage to new birth, new life.

As quickly as Jesus is snatched away from his disciples during his passion and death on the cross, he also rises from the dead on the third day. And the disciples will see him again, this time as the glorified Lord, the Son of God who conquers death because of the Father’s love.

Live each day in joy,

entrusting the future to God’s gracious

and loving care.