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 misdemeanor 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.
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
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.
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.’
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Joy and sadness
“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” (The gospel). In today’s gospel, Jesus recognized that His disciples were sad as they listened to Him speak about His impending death. However, He wanted them to understand that there would be joy awaited them with His resurrection. Jesus used the example of childbirth to illustrate their experience. In the moment of labor, a mother endures extreme pain. Yet, when her child is finally born, her heart fills with joy at the sight of her baby. The baby brings both pain and joy to the mother. Likewise, Jesus would cause His disciples’ sorrow and joy as they followed Him on the path to the cross and His resurrection. Despite the challenges they faced, the disciples needed to continue trusting in Jesus.
In our own lives, let us embrace both the pain of sadness and the comfort of joy. Living through sadness and joy helps us grow as mature individuals of faith. We are never alone in our moments of despair or happiness. In Jesus, we have a true Companion and Friend.
Reflective question:
How can I embrace both the bittersweet moments and the joyful ones in life?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
