Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” In today’s Gospel reading (John 16:20-23), Jesus tells his disciples, while they are sad today with the news that he will be killed, they will rejoice in the future when they experience the resurrection. The Apostles cannot comprehend the situation because they are overcome by great sorrow. Jesus compares this situation to a woman in labor. While a woman is in labor she suffers the intense pain of child birth. But once she gives birth, the pain is overcome with joy of new life. We too must go through the same transformation in our lives. It is difficult and sometimes extremely painful for us to commit to Christ, but through the cross we burden, we will experience the true joy and peace over God. The pain and suffering that Christ experienced on the cross was not defeat but the birth of a joyous new life. Life which now involves the risen Christ. This new life is a victory over sin, despair and death. Through the resurrection, we now know that evil can be mastered and defeated. We are part of this new birth and therefore should celebrate the glory of this victory. No matter what pain and suffering we experience, we should know that Christ is always there on the other side waiting for us. He is there to help us through the pain. If we relinquish our pain to Christ, we too can experience the joy and happiness of the new life with Christ. While the pain of child birth has lead to the joy of new life, we must also nurture and care for the new life. We are called to care for this new life and help foster the kingdom of heaven here and now. We must remember that the suffering we experience today in the burden of our cross is nothing compared to the joy and elation we will experience when sit in front of God our Father in our eternal life.

A Simple Prayer

Christ, you gave us a new life.

Through you we are given life after death.

Help me follow the path which leads to Easter celebration.

Help me find the peace and joy of the risen Christ.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon