15th May. Friday in Week 6 of Easter

1st Reading: Acts 18:9-18

Paul’s trial by Gallio the proconsul breaks down for lack of evidence.

One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” And he dismissed them from the tribunal. Then all of them seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.

After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.

Gospel: John 16:20-23

Like a woman after her birth-pangs, your pain will be turned into joy

Jesus said to his disciples, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Providence guiding our lives

Today’s Gospel indicates that we will always have questions to ponder, right up until the second coming of Jesus. “[Only] on that day you will have no questions to ask me.” This is stated in one of the last of the New Testament writings, the gospel of John. Because this author could call upon the rest of the New Testament, one might expect him to have all the answers. But the church must wait until the second coming of Jesus, before all our seeking can end.

In today’s story from the Acts, we see Paul dragged before the Roman proconsul, and when the case is suddenly dismissed, the Jewish people turn upon a leading man of the synagogue, Sosthenes, and beat him up. The Acts gives no reason for this violence; instead, it turns quickly to say that Paul remained “quite a while” at Corinth, most probably a year and a half. Paul’s loyalty to the Mosaic traditions, despite the fact that his fellow Jews despise him as a renegade, shows up clearly in his consecration of himself with the Nazirite vow. He would not cut his hair again until the vow is completed, but would follow strict dietary laws and keep himself ceremonially pure. Intending to go as a pilgrim to Jerusalem, Paul immerses himself in some of the strictest of Jewish customs. He then took leave from Cenchreae, the seaport of Corinth, facing the east, and began the journey toward Jerusalem.

What should we make of the assurance of Jesus that “your grief will be turned into joy”? Although in one sense Jesus can prove this statement from the mystery of the resurrection in his own life, nonetheless there are times, particularly when we are caught in sorrow and stress, when this assurance seems remote from us and his resurrection no longer seems to prove anything. But if Jesus’ resurrection does not offer us any clear answers, it does strengthen us to live with our questions a while longer!

If we wait patiently, we can sometimes sense the providence of God in our lives. The Spirit comes to us in the midst of darkness, as in the moment of when St Paul heard the words: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Indeed the same Paul held that it is in our weakness we can most rely on the strength of God deep within us. Jesus’ promises do not seem to alter the external reality of our lives. We need to live staunchly within the present moment and yet trust that the divine presence of Jesus will transform our lives. It is something sensed and deeply understood, that goes beyond any rational proof.

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Sorrows too will pass

Jesus knew that the reality of his passion and death would greatly shock his disciples. He said it very clearly, You will be weeping and wailing… you will be sorrowful. They would experience a deep sense of loss when Jesus returned to the Father. We have all known the sharp sorrow that comes from losing people we love. It might be the death of a parent or a mentor, or having to let go of someone we are fond of to another person, or some loss of health or energy or mobility. Loss in all its forms generates sadness. Jesus makes a very firm promise to his sorrowing disciples, “your sorrow will turn into joy… I shall see you again, and you hearts will be full of joy.” The Lord tells his disciples that sorrow will not have the last word; rather joy will have the last word because in and through his death he will be present to them in a new way. The Lord’s presence to us will see to it that sorrow will not have the last word in our lives either. He can fill the emptiness caused by our many losses. He has come full of grace and truth and we are invited to receive from his fullness, grace upon grace. In times of sorrow and loss we can hold on with confidence to the Lord’s promise, “your sorrow will turn into joy.” [Martin Hogan]