Bible Readings:
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said…
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:1-2,4)
Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. (Psalms 126:5-6)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
A Reflection
Mourning can have many causes. The obvious one is over the death of a loved one, but we can also mourn the loss of our health or someone else’s health. We can mourn the loss of employment, whether through redundancy or retirement and we can mourn the loss of a friendship or a relationship.
Whatever the cause, to each of us who has gone through, or is going through, a time of mourning, our God of compassion is there to comfort us. We can come to him with the pain and know that he understands and identifies with us, for he too has suffered.
But God doesn’t just comfort us in our mourning, he also promises that joy will follow. In God's economy, suffering and crucifixion are followed by joy and resurrection. If you are sowing in tears, trust God that you will also reap with songs of joy.
Mourning, though, may not be just for personal loss. We can also mourn the loss of an age of innocence for our children and grandchildren, we can mourn the loss of family life in a world preoccupied with personal satisfaction and we can mourn the loss of Christian values in our increasingly secular society. But, as we mourn such losses, let us also look forwards in faith to the joy that will come in the morning, and the blessing to come.
A Prayer
Father of compassion, as I come to you for comfort over the things I have lost, enable me to comfort others with the comfort I receive from you.
Amen
My Lighthouse (Rend Collective)