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Joy and Suffering

Background Music: Panalangin by Mark Anthony Cuevas
    Voiced by: Sr.Venus Marie S. Pegar, sfx
                       Sisters of St. Francis Xavier

May 10, Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Memorial of John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Daily Readings: Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23

The Lord told Paul not to be afraid to speak the good news, for he would always be with him. He has many people in the city to protect him. And when the people arose against Paul, Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, stood by his side and defended him. The responsorial psalm states, “God is king of all the earth.”.

The Gospel reading reveals that Jesus persists in warning his disciples that they will endure sorrow upon his departure. However, He assured them that their sadness would be temporary and would turn into joy. He even used the analogy of a mother in labor, who endures immense pain during the delivery process, but all the pain vanishes upon hearing the newborn's cry. Upon seeing the child, the pain transforms into happiness.

How can we understand the saying that today's suffering is tomorrow's success? To achieve a successful life, one should undergo a process, and part of it is suffering before obtaining the goal.

Call to Action for Catholic Living: Just like Jesus told his disciples, when he goes to the Father, they will not see him any longer, but he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them. Having the Holy Spirit is like having Jesus with them.

Lord, help us embrace pain and suffering, for we know that these are all temporary and that great joy is coming. Amen.

 

Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.”  Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.