THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (SOLEMNITY)

You will grieve, but your grief will become joy. 

The apostles were probably confused when Jesus told them that their grief would turn to joy (John 16:20). After all, he had just informed them that he would soon be leaving them (16:5). But just as Jesus prophesied, their grief at his crucifixion turned to joy when they encountered him as the risen Christ.

What Jesus says here also applies to us. We might grieve as we see the evil still at work in the world, but one day, at the Second Coming, our grief will also turn to joy. That’s when the present world will pass away and all will be made right in the kingdom of God. Just think: no more broken relationships with family or friends, no more poverty or racism or abortion, no more illness or pain of any kind.

And yet we don’t have to wait for the Second Coming to experience foretastes of that kingdom. That’s because the risen Christ is still here with us. He is present and at work every time a parent and a child resolve their differences and reconcile. When a friend is healed of cancer, it’s because Jesus is there as the source of all healing. When a woman in a crisis pregnancy receives support that will help her to care for her baby, Jesus is walking with her and giving her strength. In good times and in bad, the kingdom of God will continue to break through because Jesus hasn’t abandoned us this side of heaven.

Yes, this life is a mixture of light and shadows. But Jesus knows what it’s like to walk through both. And he lets his disciples—all of us—know ahead of time that we will face our own ups and downs. But he also tells us it’s not the end. If the grief that he experienced in his passion and death did not have the final word, neither will our own.

So today, whatever might be troubling you, hold fast to Jesus’ promise. Believe that the glimpses of the kingdom of heaven that you see and experience in this life are only a pale reflection of the joy that awaits you!

“Jesus, I will hold fast to your promise of eternal joy.”

Acts 18:1-8
Psalm 98:1-4
John 16:16-20

WORD AMONG US