20250530 TURNING SORROW INTO JOY THROUGH FAITH AND HOPE
30 May 2025, Friday, 6th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 18:9-18 |
'I have many people on my side in this city'
At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.
But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.
After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 46(47):2-7 |
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Lk24:46,26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that the Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 16:20-23 |
Your hearts will be full of joy that no-one will take from you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
and that joy no one shall take from you.
When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.’
TURNING SORROW INTO JOY THROUGH FAITH AND HOPE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 18:9-18; JN 16:20-23]
We can feel with the disciples in their sadness when Jesus told them that He would be leaving them soon. He also predicted His imminent passion, death and resurrection. At that point of time, the disciples could not understand. Nevertheless, Jesus prepared them for the eventuality, when He said, “I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful but your sorrow will turn to joy.”
Indeed, all of us experience sadness in life. Some days we are sadder than others. We are sad because things are not going well in our life, or because we suffer with our loved ones in their sickness, failures and misfortunes. We feel sad too because we are hurting from misunderstandings or failed relationships – especially with those we love, such as family, friends and colleagues. So, we are sad for many reasons.
In the face of sadness, we must simply persevere. This is what Jesus asks of us. We must not give up. How do we not give up? By focusing on the future and the joy ahead of us! Failures and setbacks are temporary. Suffering is part of the process of growing. Like Jesus, who had to go through the cross before He could experience the resurrection, we too must look ahead with hope rather be dragged down by life’s setbacks. For the sake of the greater joy that awaits us in the future, we must persevere. This is what the letter of Hebrews also urges us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2)
Jesus also gives us the example of the woman who was about to give birth. We cannot but admire Jesus’ perceptiveness and sensitivity to the daily plight of the human person. In all His teachings, He drew examples from daily life. This shows that Jesus was a man who is very much in touch with Himself. Like the expectant mother, we must go through labour to receive the gift of a new life. As Jesus said, “A woman in childbirth suffers, because her time has come; but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering in her joy that a man has been born into the world.”
Sadness turns into depression only when one suffers without hope. Only those who think that they have come to a dead end give up all hope, and their sadness becomes destructive. So long as there is hope, all sadness can be endured patiently, lovingly and positively. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves when we are sad, isn’t it because we have lost hope? Sadness belongs to the devil, because he wants us to give up hope – in life, in others and, most of all, in ourselves. If we are not too careful, the devil will lead us from sadness to depression and eventually to despair.
For us Christians, Christ is our Hope. We have the benefit of hindsight: the death of Jesus did not end in tragedy. His passion and death, which the world saw as a victory, because they thought that they had got rid of Him, was only temporary. Jesus won the victory in His resurrection, proving that sin has been overcome by love and the enemy of death was defeated. Christians therefore live in hope, because we know that hatred cannot be the last word – love is. Even in the face of death, we remain courageous, knowing that the sting of death has been removed by the promise of resurrection in the next life.
Indeed, yesterday, on the Feast of Ascension, we celebrated this great Hope that has been given to us by the exaltation of Jesus our Lord. Christ, who is our Lord and Saviour and the Head of the Church, has gone before us into heaven to share in the Father’s glory – the glory that was His since the foundation of the world. As His body, we too will share in His glory. We know that our final destiny is to be with God. As such, we do not cling to things of this world but to the things of heaven. We already share in His risen and exalted life when we follow Jesus in His death – dying to ourselves and living for others in humble service.
Consequently, we are called to have faith in the Lord. We must trust Him that He will see us through. With Christ, all things are possible. St Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) And Christ said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 2:9) Indeed, we can do all things in Christ, not by our own strength and ingenuity but by grace. Only through grace at work in us can we do all things, because He strengthens us by the power of His indwelling presence in the Holy Spirit.
This was what St Paul heard when the Lord said to him in a vision: “Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.” God will be on our side. He will send the necessary angels to help us. We must have faith in Him, especially when we are afraid or feel inadequate in doing what the Lord asks of us. We should not allow ourselves to be discouraged by failure. We must trust that the Lord will find ways and means to help us out. True enough, God sent Gallio, the proconsul, to help Paul when he was attacked and slandered by the Jews. Without Paul having to defend himself, Gallio dismissed the Jews ‘charge against Paul.
This is true in all situations in life. In our sadness, what we need is to have someone to be with us. Having someone stand with us and beside us gives us the strength to carry on. That is why it behoves us to give courage and strength to those who are weak and are going through difficulties in life. We need to let them know that we are with them. Even if we cannot solve their problems, we need to assure them that we are with them – and the Lord, in His mercy will send friends to help bear the crosses cheerfully.
When we trust in the Lord and hold on to His promises, we can live securely and free from undue anxiety. Not only do we live in hope, but we also receive a joy that is complete and can never be taken away. Jesus told the disciples, “So it is with you: you are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.” Christian joy is unlike worldly joy. The joy of the world comes from success, achievement and self-indulgence. Worldly joy cannot last and is situational. It is transient. But Christian joy comes from the Lord, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, setting us free and filling us with peace, love and joy. This joy that comes from Christ is a joy that remains with us so long as Christ is with us in the Holy Spirit.
Christian joy cannot be taken away because Christ is eternally present in us through the Holy Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit, the living presence of the Father and the Son who come to dwell within us will give lasting joy. This joy comes from the fruits of forbearance, kindness, gentleness and faithfulness. It flows from the capacity to love God and our brothers and sisters. We rejoice in the peace of knowing that He forgives us whenever we sin. We find joy because of the freedom we experience in the Spirit. With His grace, we can suffer patiently and joyfully without murmuring or complaining because we surrender in faith.
Hence, from now until the Feast of Pentecost, we must pray for the renewal of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On this first day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, we ask for the gift of joy to counter the darkness of sadness. When we are filled with His Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us His will. Let us surrender our lives to Him. In quiet prayer and in a spirit of discernment, and basking ourselves in His love and contemplating on His Word, we will find the courage and strength to persevere. Let us then, with faith in the Lord, live a life of hope, knowing that there is nothing we cannot overcome with His grace at work in our lives. With Christ, there is always certain hope, because of His resurrection and ascension. The sadness of a Christian never destroys him; rather, it strengthens him in hope. And even in sadness, he is at peace with the Lord, suffering with Him so that he can share in His glory.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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