“Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Sorrow is something which is common in life. There is sorrow which is felt at the loss of a loved one. There is sorrow that is felt whenever we go mocked or ridiculed. There is sorrow which is felt whenever we endure the anguishes that come with life.
Despite this reality of sorrow we are promised that we will receive a great joy. We cannot let the sorrows of this life keep us down because we now anticipate the reality of Heaven and thus Eternal Life with God. There will be no greater joy that we can share in but this.
This joy is brought about through the events of the Lord’s sorrowful Passion. He took on the many sorrows of this world as He embraced death upon the cross. Nevertheless, He rose on the third day and from the empty tomb spread a message of hope. This hope turned into joy as many came to believe in the Gospel and strove day by day to embrace it with their life.
When we look to the life of the saints we have no further to look then to the Blessed Mother. One of the many titles attributed to her is “Our Lady of Sorrows.” Here we are reminded of the words of the prophet Simeon, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” It was she who looked upon her Son as His crucifixion took place. Her heart was pierced with sorrow, but this sorrow became a joy.
What are the trials that are present in your life? Despite these sorrows which are present please be assured that they shall be turned into joy. As Christians we cannot fall into a spirit of despair for whenever we set our sight upon God, come to embrace the cross, and set out with faith towards Heaven we are given such a joy.
The cross which the Lord endured was not the end. From it we now profess the reality of His Resurrection which is the reality that He rose on the third day. Very soon He will be taken up to Heaven at the Ascension. From there we set our sight upon Him and dare to go where He has now gone before.
This is the Kingdom of Heaven which reminds us that this world is not our home. As we are told in Book of Revelation: “ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This is a reflection of this coming Kingdom which will turn our sorrow into a joy.
If this spirit of faith be found true in us “your joy no man shall take from you.”
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