Eastertide Day 41 Friday May 30 2025
John 16: 20-23 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
In this passage, Jesus prepares His disciples for the sorrow they will soon experience at His crucifixion, but He also offers them a profound promise of joy that will follow their grief. He uses the metaphor of a woman in labor to describe their current suffering, assuring them that their pain will turn into joy once His resurrection comes. This transformation from sorrow to joy is at the heart of Eastertide, reminding us that through Christ’s victory over death, our mourning is turned into celebration.
Jesus also encourages His disciples to ask the Father directly in His name, promising that their prayers will be answered. This teaches us the power of persistent prayer and the intimate relationship we can have with God through Jesus.
During this Easter season, we are invited to reflect on our own moments of sorrow and trust that God is at work, bringing new life and joy out of our struggles. The resurrection is not just a historical event but a present reality that fills our lives with hope and peace.
Prayer: Risen Lord, You have turned our mourning into dancing, our sorrow into joy.
In times of trial and pain, help us to remember the promise of new life through Your resurrection.
Strengthen our faith when we feel weak, and fill our hearts with hope when we are surrounded by despair.
Teach us to pray with confidence, knowing that You hear us and answer according to Your perfect will.
May the joy of Easter fill our lives and overflow to those around us.
Amen.