Today, we are hearing from what is known as the farewell discourse of St. John’s Gospel. These are the words Jesus speaks before His death and resurrection. There are some important lessons throughout the passages (it is three chapters long), but here, look carefully there is a mission statement there. Jesus tells us this so that His joy may be ours and that our joy may be complete. Remember, this is within hours of his arrest and it is the day before his death. What joy can there be in what is coming? That is the point.

One of the teachings we have here is that joy is a key element of the Christian life. However, so is suffering, how do the two go together? One cannot say they are experiencing joy, while they are suffering. However, there is another point there, true joy cannot be experienced without suffering. This is because when one experiences joy despite suffering one experiences true joy. This is what Jesus is trying to teach the Apostles.

When things go wrong, if you can see them in light of the bigger picture, which is your position in the Universe and your position in the Kingdom of God, this may put those struggles in a new context. If you can see them leading you closer to eternal life and even part of the path to eternal life, then your troubles will have a completely different affect on you, even without overpowering you.

Let me give you an example: St. Pio of Pietraclina, also known as Padre Pio, often taught, Pray, Hope and Never Worry. However, he suffered intensely. Many felt his stigmata was false, his superior despised him and he was falsely accused by a woman of having a relationship with him, he was forbidden from celebrating mass except in his cell during the investigation into this false accusation. These are not the kinds of things that evoke, joy, however that is the point.

If someone can suffer these things, see them within the context of being part of their road to eternal life, they will see them differently, and if one can see them as being tools used to bring them to eternal life, he will clearly have a completely different image of these experiences.

Now his joy depends completely on his relationship with God and not how smooth his life is. Sure, he may want an easier life, but he will choose to live the life of difficulty if it leads him closer to Christ and greater joy.

St. Paul talks about experiencing joy no matter what happens in your life. If you want that Joy that St. Paul speaks of expect to go through similar trials to his, but keep your focus on Christ and on being with Him in eternal life and your trials will not block your joy.

Read what the bible teaches, the just man, suffers greatly for God, through everything from persecution to betrayal. Over and Over again from the Psalms to the Book of Revelation you see those words of the faithfulness of God, betrayals, persecution, suffering, pain, anxiety, etc. Yet, in each case, we see the person speaking although he wants to be delivered from these things, also sees them as sources of drawing closer to the kingdom.

So the just person reacts as God calls him to react in this suffering. Praising God for all things, in patience and even praying for his enemies, all those are demands God gives to the suffering disciple. Yet, in each one of these actions the person in obedience to God draws closer to Him and sees a whole new way of understanding his life and God’s call.

What is key, here is to notice that the rule is to love. If you truly want to know how to love, you need to love your enemies, if you truly want to experience joy you need to know how to suffer. Joy without suffering is superficial and love of ones friends is superficial. It is when trouble strikes that both love and joy grow. This is why St. Paul calls us to rejoice at all times. Because when we can do this then we have truly found the path to both love and joy.

If you seek true joy, you need to do the will of God at all times and especially when things go wrong for it is then that true joy can be fostered and the same for true love. If you want an easy life, that is doable, but you will never find the profound experience of God in your life.

One of my favorite quotes is from St. Teresa of Avila, who said “What a stupid idea it is to believe you are on a road that leads to the greatest of treasures, and that road is not filled with robbers and dangers and obstacles.” People who do evil to you, worries, suffering diseases and the good things that happen in life are all sources of ways to draw closer to God. Each one, and each one can lead you closer to joy.

Hence, it is spoken of by Jesus just before his death and his resurrection.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

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