“But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (John 16: 22). This promise of Jesus in His farewell discourse before His Passion and death is a remarkable moment of hope for the apostles and indeed for all of us. Yes, Jesus will suffer horrifying crucifixion and an early death. Yes, His friends will be shattered by their overwhelming loss and grief. But against all human expectation, the Lord rises from the grave to live forever, conquering the seemingly intractable power of sin and death for all people of all time. This epic victory of the Son over the power of the Evil One is the source and center of our Easter faith.
Many people in our world today have lost their joy, or maybe never had any in the first place. Observing the state of the world, with the terrible war in Ukraine, the rise of violence, the destruction wreaked by the pandemic, the spike in mental illness, depression, and suicide, our political and economic paralysis, can leave us all with a lack of joy, hope, and confidence in the future. It is to us in this moment and this place that the Lord renews His promise of joy.
When we embrace the fullness of life on high in Jesus Christ, practice our Catholic faith, know the grace of the sacraments, enter into meditative prayer, and are serious about a life of holiness and virtue, the risen Christ imparts His unspeakable joy to us. This joy does not mean that we will always be happy and at peace in a trouble-free existence. It does mean that we know with absolute conviction that there is no suffering, illness, tragedy, sin, or death that can rob us of our love for Jesus, He who has already won the victory of eternal life for us. I pray that you know the joy of Easter in new and wonderful ways, as we celebrate the Lord’s Pasch, His Passover from death to life! We will rejoice forever with the Lord in heaven, if we are faithful to Him and let Him love and save us! Happy Easter!