The suffering we endure will
BE TRANSFORMED INTO JOY
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 of 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 the realization 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. It can be endured because it has a purpose.
Jesus was looking
for a way to make His disciples understand that the sorrow and suffering
involved in being His followers would not only be forgotten later but would be
very worthwhile! That is why He talked about a woman giving birth to a child.
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. In the
eighth chapter of Romans, St. Paul puts our own suffering and a world of
suffering in the context of labor and new birth: "We know that the whole
world has been groaning in labor pains until now." But there is hope of
new life.
We need to remember
that 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 for today relates some of
the sufferings of Paul. He accepted these sufferings in union with Christ and,
just as it did for Jesus, his loving obedience led to his glory.
The Easter victory
of Jesus teaches us to have courage in the face of suffering and death. In the
Resurrection of Christ our fears are laid to rest. His Resurrection is a total
and final triumph, and for us, it means peace and joy at the end. We will have
troubles in the present reality. Through the eyes of faith, however, we know
the final outcome - complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus
Christ!
This 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. And during this
life we are like a woman in labor. There is pain and sorrow in this life. When
our time comes, however, we will not give birth. Rather, we will be the ones
born into everlasting life. For "God is King of all the earth" (Ps
47:8a).