NO ONE WILL TAKE YOUR JOY AWAY FROM YOU

At 18,9-18; Ps 46; Jn 16,20-23a
11 MAY
Without a strong, robust faith, very certain in eternal joy, it is always difficult to live the present which is suffering, deprivation and martyrdom for Christ and his Word. The way of faith is always a delivery to the death of the present in order to have a future of glory. This truth is admirably revealed in the Letter to the Hebrews. Abraham is called to live in continual death in his present because there is a future that awaits him. So also every other man of God. Even Christ Jesus handed his life over to death.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders. Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth. Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect (Cf. Heb 11,1-40).

The present of the Apostles is in suffering. They must believe, more than Abraham, in hope against all hope. They must believe that it is in the Crucifix that all their hope finds its perfect fulfilment. But this faith is not yet in their hearts. There is currently only sadness for the loss of their Master in them. But Jesus reassures them. The Cross is not the last Word of God on Him. The Cross is the Word of Christ to the Father, through which he sings all his love for his God and Lord. But then it will be his Father the one to sing his Word of love for the Son and this Word will be of glorious resurrection. The Father will give his Son a spiritual, glorious and immortal body.

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 labour, 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. On that day you will not question me about anything.

When Jesus is resurrected, no one will be able to kill him again and the joy of the disciples will be perfect. Nobody might remove it from them. They will always be with him, in every corner and place of the earth. There will no longer be any separation. The Apostles will separate one another because of their mission, but never will they leave Jesus who will be with them, with each of them, always. This is the reason why through death he must enter into the womb of the sepulchre and be born from it to new life. If He does not enter into that bosom, not even there will be a new birth for Him and neither might He be led by the Spirit to every place where every one of his disciples will live tomorrow. Thus the disciple dies in the present to be tomorrow in eternal joy.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints, always make us of right faith.