But your grief will become joy
30 MAY (Jn 16,20-23a)
Sadness, pain and the cross are always announcers of a great work that God is about to accomplish in our history. The greater the cross and the more sublime is the work of our God. The more unspeakable is the suffering and the richer in conversion is history. To understand this truth we will let ourselves be helped by the Book of Esther.
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, likewise had recourse to the Lord. Taking off her splendid garments, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of her precious ointments she covered her head with dirt and ashes. She afflicted her body severely; all her festive adornments were put aside, and her hair was wholly disheveled. Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “My Lord, our King, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forefathers that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, as a lasting heritage, and that you fulfilled all your promises to them. But now we have sinned in your sight, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies, because we worshiped their gods. You are just, O Lord. But now they are not satisfied with our bitter servitude, but have undertaken to do away with the decree you have pronounced, and to destroy your heritage; to close the mouths of those who praise you, and to extinguish the glory of your temple and your altar; to open the mouths of the heathen to acclaim their false gods, and to extol an earthly king forever. “O Lord, do not relinquish your scepter to those that are nought. Let them not gloat over our ruin, but turn their own counsel against them and make an example of our chief enemy. Be mindful of us, O Lord. Manifest yourself in the time of our distress and give me courage, King of gods and Ruler of every power. Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us by your power, and help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord. “You know all things. You know that I hate the glory of the pagans, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any foreigner. You know that I am under constraint, that I abhor the sign of grandeur which rests on my head when I appear in public; abhor it like a polluted rag, and do not wear it in private. 1 I, your handmaid, have never eaten at the table of Haman, nor have I graced the banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations. From the day I was brought here till now, your handmaid has had no joy except in you, O Lord, God of Abraham. O God, more powerful than all, hear the voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and deliver me from my fear” (Est ch.c 12-30).
Esther is in anguish. Together with her people she has been sentenced to death. All the Jews are in suffering. They know that in a few days they will be eradicated from the face of the earth. In this great and unspeakable destructive storm she together with her people are turning to their God, their only Saviour, so that he stops the murderous hand and gives them full freedom. Esther also exposes her life to death for the salvation of her people. God is recognized Lord and Saviour, salvation is given. No one dies of the condemned to death. On the contrary, those who had condemned them die.
Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
Jesus, too, must recognize his Father as the only Lord of his life. He must recognize him by offering him his life, making it pass through death on the cross. After this confession will have taken place, the Lord will deliver him from death, will give him an immortal, spiritual, glorious and incorruptible body, raising him to the highest heaven. Then the Lord will let himself be seen again by his apostles and these will be surrounded by a very great joy, that no one might steal them.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints fill us with Christ the Lord.