Christ is Risen! The Lord’s Resurrection is is the dawn of salvation that breaks through the night of defeat and mourning. The enemy of God is given the death blow. The fearful and grief-stricken followers of Jesus are released from their dark cells of despair by the Risen Lord Himself. Thosecrushed by failure, grief and fear are raised to be powerful and joy-filled witnesses of the Resurrection. This power of the Resurrection was not limited to an event two thousandyears ago, but it is waiting to be realised in the lives of everyone who follows Christ
“I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life” (Ezk 37:14
“To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears…”These words from the traditional Marian prayer ‘Salve Regina’reminds us of a reality we often wish to ignore.Much as we avoid suffering and discomfort in life, sorrows and despair cast their shadows upon our hearts. We tend to look around and wonder how the people out in the world have everything going fine, while for us who are striving to be righteous, things threaten to fall apart. It is exactly this struggle that Jesus addresses saying, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices” (Jn 16:20). The Lord then presents a powerful consoling imagery and assurance, “You will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:20-22). The Lord likens our anxious and most intense challenges with the travails of a woman going through labour pains. While it is most severe, it always holds the greatest promise the promise of a new life! Moreover, the mother, when the baby is born, will never remember nor regret that pain. This is the assurance thatfor those who are committed to the Lord, every grief in this worldcarries with it the promise of the joy of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will turn that grief to a joy that is complete. This is how Jesus concludes this teaching, “On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (Jn 16:23,24).
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace” (Is 55:12)
The scripture lists joy as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). The hallmark of those anointed with the Holy Spirit is the abiding joy in their hearts. The Acts of the Apostles describes how when the apostleswere anointed with the Holy Spirit,
they were filled with great joy even in the face of adverse circumstances. As we contemplate thejoy of the Holy Spiritthat abounded in the apostles, we understand that joy can be defined as the assurance that God is in control of every detail of our lives, and our destinies. It stems from the confidence that God will turn everything to our good. This faith in God leads us toa determined choice to praise God and rejoiceat all times.
Mother Mary and the Apostles were praying in the upper room, just as the Risen Lord had directed them to. On the day of Pentecostthey were anointed with the Holy Spirit. They immediately proceeded to praise God, proclaiming the great news of the Resurrection and Lordship of Jesus. Devout Jews from every nation gathered around them in a large crowd, amazed at their powerful witness. The disciples were so transformed, and their words so fearless and joyful, thatsome of those gathered ridiculed them as being drunk. Simon Peter understood their confusion, and explained that their intoxication was from the Holy Spirit, as he explained the prophecy of Joel: “These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘It will come to pass in the last days, God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh… Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy'” (Acts 2:15-18). These apostles until this day had locked themselves up in the upper room. They had been cowardly all along, abandoning Jesus at the time of His arrest and crucifixion. They were frightened of being noted by the Jews as His followers. They feared for their lives, and dreaded persecution. With the anointing, adramatic change comes over them, manifested as great joy. They were well aware of the risk of sufferings, but they were unafraid now. There was a new vision of a glorious eternity that set them free from the insecurities of this earthly existence.
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15:11),
During the earthly sojourn of Jesus, the disciples could never understand Jesus because their thoughts were earth-bound. Jesus, taking His disciples into His confidence, spoke of the paschal mystery. Three times the Lord spoke of how going to Jerusalem, He would be condemned, crucified, and raised to eternal life. The last part they did not even begin to grasp. The disciples’ minds were clouded. The first time, Simon Peter rebukes Jesus, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt 16:22). Jesus pointed to him that his thinking was too human to
be divine: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (v. 23). The second time Jesus prophecies of His passion, “they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question Him” (Mk 9:32), and they began quietly arguing amongst themselves about who among them was greater! The third prophecy is followed by the disciples James and John seeking preference over the other disciples in the earthly glory they expected Jesus to secure (Mk 10:32-37). Alongside their aspirations for earthly dominance, was a great abhorrence to suffering. In those times, it was understood among the Jews that suffering and death were a punishment from God.
The scripture describes how when Job of the Old Testament had to suffer, his friendspronounce that his suffering is punishment for hidden sin, arguing that righteous people do not suffer. The rewards of being right with God were limited to earthly well-being.When the Holy Spirit anointed the disciples, their thinking was radically transformed, their vision was broadened. Suffering gained a glorious value, while earthly securities were revealed to be shallow and worthless. On Pentecost, Simon Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed, “God has made Him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). As St Paul would write, the apostles proclaimed “Christ crucified.” Not only would Peter present the cross of Christ as the way of salvation, he would insist that we must rejoice in our personal sufferings for these would usher in the Spirit of glory! “Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when His glory is
revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you… those who suffer in accord with God’s will hand their souls
over to a faithful creator as they do good” (I Pet 4:13,14.19).
“The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Neh 8:10),
Simon Peter had much to suffer, and every such moment he recognised as the opportunity to praise God. When he and John were preaching, they were arrested. The high priest questioned them at disobeying their orders not to preach. Peter unfazed would respond, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). He would continue to proclaim to them that the Jesus they crucified was indeed the Saviour. They were so infuriated by this fearlessness, that they had them flogged publicly. Though their bodies bled, it is recorded that they went ahead rejoicing and proclaiming Christ. “They left the presence of the Sanhedrin, though they were warned against doing so. “Rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name. And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus” (Acts 5:40,41).
There was pain on their body but no complaint on their lips. There was intense suffering, but more intense was the joy in their hearts. As St Paul would write of the apostolic mission, “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (II Cor 4:8,9).
This is Christianity. This is the witness of the Holy Spirit that no matter what our circumstances are, we thrive in the grace given by the Holy Spirit. Joy is not the reaction to what happens outside of us, but is the grace from above filling our hearts.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit causes abiding joy to fill us. St. Peter exhorts the church not to be shaken by the trials of life. He writes, “Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you” (I Pet 4:12). The early Church was familiar with the trial by fire. Whatever be the sufferings, and unfavourable situations, nothing shall be given the permission to make one sad. The privilege is that in each trial, one is accorded a share in the sufferings of Christ. This is thinking on a heavenly plane. The men and women of the world could consider our trials, our lacking in wealth, and health, as unfortunate happenings. Yet for Christians who are no longer bound by earthly understanding, every trial draws us to be one with Jesus in the mission of the Cross, and therefore in heavenly honours.
“No one will take your joy from you.” (Jn 16:22).
The Holy Spirit offered the early Church that great insight and strength to count every suffering a joy. There was no sadness. The martyrs of the Church walked towards their martyrdom exultant. The victory Christ won at Easter was not an abstract theory but a reality. This empowered them to look straight into the face of death and praise God. They could see things for what they truly were. Death was not a loss, butthe path to eternal joy. The earth was passing, but heaven was real. We are pilgrims, and heaven is our destiny.
St. Polycarp, a Father of the Church, and the disciple of St. John the Evangelist, was first burned at the stake. When the flames refused to consume him, he had to be stabbed to death. The Roman Magistrateoffered him great honours
if he denied Jesus. Polycarp preferred martyrdom as the glorious opportunity as he is recorded saying, “Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked. I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy
of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ.” He could see theglories of this earth as dust when compared to the privilege to drink of the chalice of Christ.
Mother Mary could have been stoned to death because she said Yes to God’s will. Yet she was praising God with that beautiful hymn, the Magnificat: “My soul rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk1:46-55.
“In your presence there is fullness of joy”. (Ps 16:11)
Some time ago, a young man came here for a retreat full of despair. He told me, “Father, I hate my life. I am the most desperate man on this earth. I hate myself. I hate my wife, I just don’t know why I married at all.” He explained that after his marriage, though he did not want to have a child his wife conceived. After the child was born he came to know that his wifehad an unholy past. He hated her from that moment. He did not have anything to do with her from then. When he became indifferent to her, she too became very indifferent to him. Meanwhile his younger brother married. He found his sister-in-law far more charming, vibrant, and having a well paid job, unlike his own wife. He confided that whenever he looked at her, he felt jealous of his brother. Anger welled in his heart for he felt cheated in life. He grew to experience strong lustful feelings when he saw other women. He was fearful of making serious mistakes. He resorted to pornography. He came for this retreat because now his life seemed to be an irreparable mess. I encouraged him, explaining that it was clearly God’s intervention in his life that brought him for this retreat. God who brought him to be with Him, would speak to him. I gave him the scripture message from the gospel of John, “You will grieve, but your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20). God will turn his sadness into joy. I explained that his struggle was a labour pain. The Holy Spirit will enter his heart and the Lord will work in his life.
On the fourth day of the retreat, the word of God did indeed break through all the despair and hatred, The Word is powerful, and active, it can plumb the depths of our hearts and work miracles, rebuilding our lives from there. During the retreat this man was drawn by the scripture, “Do not be afraid, for she was set apart for you before the world existed. You will save her” (Tob6:18). During this teaching, the preacher explained how the husband’s mission is to save his spouse, just as Jesus saved the Churchaccepting the Church with all the sin and misery, and dying for her. The Holy Spirit moved in his heart so powerfully. He realised he had to die as well to his passions, his selfishness, and accept his wife given to him by God. At one moment he deeply repented for failing his wife, for failing to love her and save her. He prayed surrendering his selfish thoughts and desires. He committed himself to take up the person God gave him, and the mission to save her in her every need. There was a miraculous transformation. A month later. he came again for the retreat with his wife. There were tearful moments in my room, as the two of them accepted each other from the hands of God. They are a happy couple today. The joy of the Holy Spiritabiding in theirhearts has brought healing to their marriage and grace into their lives.
The power of the Holy Spirit brings glory into our lives, no matter how challenging or even defeated it may seem. This victorious destiny of heavenly glory is what Christ won for us through His death and resurrection. Every trial in our life is a grand opportunity to witness the power of the Resurrection and the beauty of the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
O Lord, anoint us with your Holy Spirit. We shall conform our will to your will, our plan to your plan, our ideas to yours, so that your joy may fill our hearts. May our lives, our sufferings and our death, lead us to be united with you O Christ, that we may receive the glorious inheritance of heaven. Amen.