THE SUFFERING WHICH WE ENDURE
WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO JOY
WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO JOY
To be a follower of Christ means to share in His suffering, but it also means to share in His glory.
It has often been observed that there is no physical pain that can be compared to that which accompanies giving birth to a child. Men must, of course, take this statement on faith and most men are undoubtedly grateful for that fact. Nonetheless, all of us have experienced that time often blurs the memory of intense pain in the past. But there is another element to consider. When pain has accomplished something significant, it is not merely forgotten in the future. Rather, it is considered to have been worthwhile.
Jesus was looking for a way to make the disciples understand that the sorrow and suffering involved in being His follower would not only be forgotten later, but would be very worthwhile!
That is why He talked about a woman giving birth to a child (Jn 16:20-21). The allusion was particularly apt because the pain of childbirth leads to a new life, and the suffering of the Christian leads to everlasting life. Today the Church honors Sts. Charles Lwanga and his companions who were martyrs. Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions were put to the sword or burned to death for their unalterable convictions and their refusal of the king's sinful desires. They suffered greatly all for the love of Jesus Christ and to bring love, mercy and justice for all God's people.
Jesus Himself took the lead in this. He accepted suffering and death in loving obedience to His heavenly Father. Because of this, His Father highly exalted him. To be a follower of Christ means to share in His suffering, but it also means to share in His glory.
The first reading today relates some of the sufferings of Paul. These sufferings were accepted in union with Christ. St. Paul's loving obedience led to glory for him, as it did Jesus. The Easter victory of Jesus teaches us courage in the face of suffering and death. In the resurrection of Christ, our fears are laid to rest. His resurrection is the total, final triumph, and for us it supplies peace and joy in the end. We will have troubles in the present time. Through the eyes of faith, we know the final outcome - complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus Christ.
That is why we can pray confidently now, knowing that the Father will give us everything we need to live as His children and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes! We do know the Easter joy of Christ's victory over sin and death.
During this life we are like a woman in labor. There are pain and sorrow in this life. When our time comes, however, we will not give birth. Rather we will be the ones born to Everlasting Life. For God is King of all the earth (Ps 47:2).