A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[295] Acts 18:9-18;  Ps 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7;  John 16:20-23

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“…she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy…” - John 16:21

No matter who we are, where we live, or how much money we make, life throws each and every one of us curve balls.  We all have our ups and our downs; it’s all a part of being human. 

I don’t know about you, but I am a firm believer that even after our toughest moments, we will find joy.  Through prayer, trust in God, and time, we will, if not fully recover from the pain, find some joy as a part of our situation. 

For example, we experience great pain when we lose someone we love and care deeply about.  Whenever I have lost someone dear to me, there’s a quote I think about that reflects this idea of finding joy amidst our pain.  It reads, “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”  Ideally, although we miss this person, it should bring us joy to think about how he or she has touched our lives. 

Jesus tells us today that when he comes again, no one will be able to take the joy that we will feel in that moment away.  We will no longer remember any of our pain.  Can you imagine what that will feel like? “Awesome” won’t even begin describe it. 

It’s easy for us to wallow in our sadness and feel stuck in our pain.  Jesus says today, “Your grief will become joy.”  There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, even when we feel like we can never escape pain.  If we trust that God has a plan for every one of us, he will help us find that joy that accompanies the pain we feel.  He will, in the end, take away our pain, and instead we will be filled with eternal joy.