“Let the life of Mary be as a mirror, in which is reflected the form of virtue and the beauty of chastity.”
– St Ambrose of Milan
John 16:20-23
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.
When a woman is in labour she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.
So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.
What do the Fathers say?
St AUGUSTINE. Because He did not say, A little while, but simply, I go to the Father, He seemed to speak plainly. But what to them was obscure at the time, but by and by manifested, is manifest to us. For in a little while He suffered, and they did not see Him; and again, in a little while He rose again, and they saw Him. He says, And you shall see Me no more; for the mortal Christ they saw no more.
St ALCUIN. It will be a little time during which you will not see Me, i. e. the three days that He rested in the grave; and again, it will be a little time during which you shall see Me, i. e. the forty days of His appearance amongst them, from His Passion to His ascension. And you shall see Me for that little time only, Because I go to the Father; for I am not going to stay always in the body here.
St AUGUSTINE. The disciples sorrowed at their Lord’s death, and then immediately rejoiced at His resurrection. The world (i. e. the enemies of Christ, who put Him to death) rejoiced just when the disciples sorrowed: You shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
St ALCUIN. This speech of our Lord’s is applicable to all believers who strive through present tears and afflictions to attain to the joys eternal. While the righteous weep, the world rejoices; for having no hope of the joys to come, all its delight is in the present.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. Then He shows that sorrow brings forth joy, short sorrow infinite joy, by an example from nature; A woman when she is in labour has sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.
He does not say however that she will not have tribulation, but that she will not remember it; so great is the joy which follows. And so is it with the saints.
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
Artwork ex Wikimedia Commons