The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Titus Mananzan SVD – SVD Holy Spirit Novitiate – Calapan, Oriental Mindoro
Friday 6th Week of Easter
The Gospel gives us a message of hope — a promise from Christ that He will come again to give us joy that no one can take away, because it is planted deep in the heart. “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy… and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:20, 22). This hope assures us that whatever pain or suffering we endure will one day end, and God will make all things new in His time.
This promise is echoed in the resurrection of Christ. From the abyss of grief that death brings, He rose to the summit of eternal life. Though He ascended to the Father, He did not abandon us. Instead, He entrusted us to the Father’s care and assured us: “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24).
In our daily struggles, when we work hard and aspire for what is right, our sufferings gain meaning. St. Paul reminds us: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). This hope is not empty; it is sustained by God’s love poured into our hearts.
I know of a beautiful love story, replete with sacrifice, trust in the Lord, and pure devotion. The bond began even before birth, in the wombs of two deeply religious mothers. The first gave birth to a fair‑complexioned, beautiful baby boy. Her friend, who was four months pregnant with her first child, visited her and, upon seeing the baby, was filled with admiration and prayed that her own child would be just as fair and beautiful.
Both children were raised in a strict, ascetic, and disciplined environment, yet always centered on God. They eventually became classmates and cautious friends. Inspired by his parents, the boy entered the seminary. During vacations, they enjoyed seeing each other at church. Though they pursued different paths and seldom saw or communicated with one another, they remained close at heart, secretly in love, and steadfast in their resolve to let God’s will be done. The young man nurtured hopes that one day he might marry her — but this was not to be.
Only after twenty‑five years of faithfully serving the Lord, and following the passing of the girl’s mother, did circumstances finally allow their silent wish to be fulfilled. They met again, this time with maturity, and openly acknowledged the love that God had preserved in their hearts across the years. In their golden years, they experienced the joy found only in a truly meaningful relationship.
Even now, despite the sorrows, pains, and struggles of living apart, the joy of knowing they are blessed with each other’s undying love sustains them. It kindles their hope that they will one day be united — perhaps after fulfilling their separate missions in life, if not in this lifetime, then surely in the next.
Hope is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19). It is the assurance that Christ’s promise is true: He will return, and our joy will be complete. Let us hold fast to this hope, trusting that God’s love will sustain us through every sorrow and lead us to eternal joy.
“Lord Jesus, strengthen our hope in Your promise, that even in suffering we may rejoice, knowing that You will turn our grief into everlasting joy.”
