Jn 16:20-23
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 20“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. 21When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. 22So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”
You will grieve, but your grief will become joy. What does Jesus mean when he says this? No pain, no gain? No guts, no glory? No, Jesus’ statement is not equivalent to our sayings on joy after grief or sunshine after rain. Jesus means more—that the sun is behind the clouds even when it is raining and that there is meaning to suffering, to a woman’s pains at childbirth, to a student’s difficulties in his studies, and to a father’s patient work for his family. We do not seek suffering, but we do not avoid it either. We find purpose and meaning in it. We may hear the Lord speaking to us in our suffering! We are ready when it comes.