Words sometimes get us into trouble. I am speaking for myself of course. I sometimes don’t say enough. My wife, Anna, will say something and expect a comment and I have either nothing to say or am thinking about what she said……. I am in trouble.
Yesterday was Ascension Thursday. The “Great Commission” Matthew 28:17-20 says at the end I will be with you always even to the end of the age. So we are here today in the great story of the formation of the Church. The Apostles are alone. They are waiting on the Holy Spirit and are lost sheep. The apostles were speechless and afraid.
What will happen next?
There were times in my life that I was speechless and afraid. What do you say to a parent that has lost a child or a spouse? Will I say the wrong thing? At some point what we say to someone we are trying to comfort is not as important as the fact we are there. The things we say to someone whose soul we are trying to lead to Christ is not as important as what we do.
There is a very good reason for us to be confident when we speak to the world around us of our faith. One of my supervisors recently asked me why I even bothered to go to Church. My answer was that I wanted to go to Church and that I have been doing it all my life and didn’t want to stop now. In our Gospel today Jesus says Amen, Amen twice. That is usually a time when we should sit up and take notice.
Jesus says first, I say to you , you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. Now I would not say this to someone who is going through this but there is hope in Jesus’ words that joy will result in the end. All we can do is show someone who is grieving the joy in our hearts.
Jesus reminds us of that joy when He says, But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, Amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Now in my private prayers, I try not to ask Jesus for things for me. I try to give praise to God and petition for others. Yes, I want things and have needs but I have joy. That is the amen, amen moment for me. Other people have needs and their need for joy is the most important thing for my prayers.
Why?
Because the joy I have received from hard times carries me over. Looking back at my life, I have had worldly successes and failures. In the end I have joy, because I know that Jesus promised that no one would take away that joy. My confidence comes from that amen, amen.
If we accept the fact that joy is a promise of Jesus, then everything is joy. When we speak as Saint Paul, let us do it with joy. When we have hardships, let us do it with joy. When we have successes, let us do it with joy.
I am not sure where I heard this but Christians have a joy about them. They have peace in any storm or hardship, because they have joy. Smile ! Too many Christians I know only focus on the sorrow. Real Christians focus on joy.
Please smile today and focus on the joy that Jesus promised us.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray for cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray that you receive joy today.
