103 posts 5/31/2007 5:16 pm
Last Read:
6/1/2007 7:53 pm
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John 16:16-20... Grief turning into Joy... Reflect
John 16:16-20... Grief turning into Joy... Reflect...
Our gospel features a situation reversal. Jesus first refers to his impending death. This death, he predicts, will plunge his followers into great sorrow, whereas it will delight all those who have joined forces against him. however, that situation is soon to be reversed by the Resurrection. For then, the disciples will experience a deep and abiding joy, whereas the soldiers guarding the tomb will be terrified (Mt 28:4) and the chief priest will be compelled to buy the soldiers’ silence (Mt 28:11-15)
We could say that our Christian life is somewhat patterned after what Jesus describes here, that is, as a cycle of disappearances and reappearances endlessly repeated. For example, at one time Jesus is not felt as real, as present to our hearts, especially in moments of prayer, when we would so want to experience intimacy with him. Such periods of aridity or even desolation are always painful. Fortunately, if we persevere in prayer and if we continue living our Christian life as best we can, invariably there comes a time when the presence of Jesus is again felt. These alternating desolations and consolations are the warp and woof forming the very fabric of our Christian life. They are meant to make as constantly grow in faith and trust. After a while however, faith becomes so strong that Jesus is somehow always ‘seen’ (not felt) by a kind of special eyesight of the soul. Then the Christian’s joy is practically permanent.
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365 Days with the Lord
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