Your Endless Joy
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
On the night when
He was betrayed, on the night in which He instituted the Sacrament of the
Altar, our Lord prepared His disciples for His departure with the promise of
return and of joy. They were puzzled by it, and so our Lord explains further: “…You now have sorrow; but I will see you
again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” He
is speaking of the specific sorrow that the disciples will have at the
crucifixion.
But we do well to
apply this to ourselves and to the sorrows we endure while awaiting His return.
The present is full of our transgressions. By our sins we have burnt bridges
with family and friends, employers and neighbors. We’ve succumbed to temptation
and hurt the ones we love the most. Our words have been spiteful, sarcastic,
and mean. Our service to God and our neighbors has been resentful. Our spirits
may be ashamed of what we are doing, but we do not resist. Repent. Turn away
from your fleshly desires. Remember that this is not your home. Let the pain
and sorrow you experience now sharpen your focus upon the joy to come.
This life is temporary.
It seems long, but when we look back, we will see that it was brief. Our joy
will be complete; no one will take it from us. Hang on. Jesus Christ did not
die and rise in vain. It will end soon. And when the going gets tough, in the
waning hours of darkness, in the midst of your watch, know that you will mount
up on wings like eagles and soar. Soon, you will leave all this tribulation
behind. You shall be free! No more pain, no more suffering, no more shame or
regret, no more past, no more sin. You will be free of your Old Adam. God’s grace
cuts the cords which bind you. The payment for your selfishness has been paid.
There is nothing left but the waiting. God loves you in Jesus Christ; He will
bring you to Himself. For His own reasons, from His own goodness, without any
merit or worthiness in you, He loves you. He calls you by name. The inheritance
of the righteous is rightfully yours, for you are His. You need not defend
yourself, look after your rights and honors, or be insulted by the stupid
behavior around you. Patience is learned in the cross, for there we see that
nothing else really matters. You are free from those who hurt you, free from
the devil’s accusations, free from death. Jesus Christ Himself is your
Defender, your Advocate, your Friend. He never sleeps or grows faint. Let Him
worry about you. Who would dare to stand against you? These labor pains are not
punishment. Rather, they are the proof of His love.
While you wait,
knowing that your time is coming and that nothing else matters, our Lord gives
you a foretaste of that joyous Feast to come. Be strengthened, encouraged, and
refreshed for your labor. Eat His Body and drink His Blood to sustain you. Your
sins are forgiven. Here is your strength to carry on. Here is hope for the
future. Here is peace for the tired, troubled heart. Here is unity with Christ
crucified and raised, and through Him you have unity with the fellow confessing
pilgrims on earth. No longer are these neighbors considered strangers; they are
now your brothers and sisters in Him, for faith is thicker than blood. And you
also have unity with the confessing cloud of witnesses that even now surrounds
you and prays for you. This is the promise of joy to come, so that you would
endure in confident hope and faith. So do not be afraid. Do not mourn like
those who have no hope. Fear not. In a little while you will see Him and your
joy will be complete. And no one will take it from you. ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He
is risen indeed! Alleluia! In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The
peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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