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 46(47):2-7
God is king of all the earth.
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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Sorrow and joy
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to His disciples, “In all truth I tell you…you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.” He does not deny the reality of pain, but it does not have the final word; joy does. Jesus uses the image of a woman in labour: the pain is real and intense, yet it is not meaningless. It is a pain that leads to life. Likewise, the disciples will feel deep sadness as they witness His death on the cross. However, this sadness will turn into a joy that cannot be taken away when they encounter the Risen Lord.
Today, Jesus invites us to see that our sorrows, like disappointments, losses, struggles, and confusion, can lead to transformation. By staying with Him during those moments, we can grow in unexpected ways, developing a deeper trust, a more anchored hope, and a lasting joy. The joy we have does not mean that life becomes easy. It means that even when we face hardships, there is a quiet certainty that God is with us.
Reflective question:
How is Jesus inviting me to trust that He is bringing forth a lasting joy from the hardships and struggles that I face?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
