BUT YOUR SORROW WILL TURN TO JOY

John 16:20-23a

Our life consists of sadness and joy and Jesus recognizes this. That is why in today’s gospel reading, He tells His disciples that “in all truth I tell you: you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy”. As we are between the Ascension and Pentecost, this gospel is part of the farewell discourse and portrays the environment of sadness and of expectation. Sadness, because Jesus leaves and the nostalgia invades the heart of the disciples. Expectation, because the hour is arriving of receiving the promised gift, that of the Consoler who will make all sadness disappear and will once again bring the joy of the friendly presence of Jesus in the midst of the community.

The message for us this morning is that Christian joy and happiness are found in Jesus. We will only experience joy and happiness in our lives if Jesus is present in us. You know that in this world we have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some of us think they have successfully found it while others think they have not. The important question is where do I find my joy and happiness? Remember that joy and happiness cannot be found in unbelief. Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”

Happiness is not in Pleasure. Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: “The worm, the canker and grief are mine alone.” Not in Money. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.” Not in Position and Fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age is a regret.” Not in Military Glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, and he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.” Where do I find joy and happiness? The answer is simple, in Christ alone.

At the end I would like to share with you this experience of a missionary priest about Jesus’ presence even in every detail of our lives. Travelling with a companion on a deserted road in his mission assignment one day, we passed by a vehicle that was noticeably moving slowly. Assuming the car had mechanical trouble, we stopped and offered assistance. The driver, a fellow missionary, had a flat tire. However, he had no spare tire, so we exclaimed: “What? Running a car in a mountainous area and so remote without a spare tire?” and he said to us: “You know, I was already an hour on the road when I remembered that I left behind my spare tire at the mission house downtown but I said to myself God will provide for my needs.” “And you believe that?” we asked. “Yes!” came the candid reply. “And I assume He sent you.” We laughed but realized the truth of God’s abiding presence even in the smallest detail of our daily life.