No one will take your joy away from you

FRIDAY 22 MAY (Jn 16,20-23)

The joy of the Apostles is the Lord. Why might no one take Jesus away from the disciples, who is their joy, after the resurrection? Because Jesus rises with a spiritual, as well as glorious, incorruptible and immortal body, and it is proper to a spiritual body being simultaneously in every place of heaven and earth, of time and eternity, but also personally and entirely of each individual Apostle. The body of flesh is limited. The spiritual body is unlimited. For example, the same body is present with a real presence in all the consecrated hosts of the earth. If Jesus is individually with each Apostle – and also with each disciple – might there be a single power in the world capable of preventing Jesus from being with each member of his body? It suffices to read the Acts of the Apostles and it will be observed that Jesus is always with his body, which is the Church. There is no Christ without the Church, there is no Church without Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus and the Church are forever one life and not two.

In Revelation it is revealed that Jesus is the Lord who holds the book of the history of all humanity. Time and eternity are in his hands: “I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it. I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it. One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.” Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes; these are the (seven) spirits of God sent out into the whole world. He came and received the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. They sang a new hymn: “Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.” I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped”  (Rev 5,1-14). If Jesus is the Lord, will there be anyone who might snatch us from the hand of the Lord to plunge us into eternal sadness and anguish? Only the single person can decide, in foolishness, to leave Jesus. No one else might ever.

Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; 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. 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.

Today a very strong temptation is affecting Christians. It is making them exile Jesus from their life and from the life of the world. Many disciples suffer from a strong inferiority complex before other religions. We are like in the time of the children of Israel. These, suffering the same complex as the invisible God, clung to the visible idols of the pagans. But those were only objects, matter, nothingness and vanity. What was the most bitter fruit of idolatry? They became useless and vanity like the idols they worshiped.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, free us from this foolish and insane inferiority complex.