Fleeting suffering, eternal joy

Jesus said to his disciples: “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” (John 16: 16-20)

Jesus prophesies to his disciples, first of all regarding His Passion and death. While these are events that will bring sadness, Jesus also prophesies His Resurrection and Ascension  which will transform their sorrow into joy. May Jesus' words comfort  us in our most difficult moments, so that with confidence we may know that they are only temporary and that sooner or later they will be transformed into eternal joy. Let us follow Mary’s example who suffered seeing her son die on the cross, but now rejoices fully in being at His side in Paradise.