From Sorrow to Joy: The Lord Stands Beside Us

Voice over by Angeline Chue Chue

Acts 18:9-18, Psalm: 46, Jn 16:20-23

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In the journey of faith, there are moments when fear whispers that we are alone, that our efforts are futile, and that the opposition is too great. Today, the Word of God speaks directly to those fears. Through a vision to Paul and a promise from Jesus, the Lord assures us: He is with us. The sorrow we endure will become joy. And no one will take that joy from us.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is in Corinth, a bustling, morally compromised city. He preaches with intensity, but opposition mounts. The Jews resist and revile him. In the midst of this pressure, the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision at night: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” This is not a promise of comfort; it is a command to courage. Paul stays for eighteen months, building a church in the heart of pagan Corinth. The Lord’s presence is not a shield from trouble, but a strength to endure and thrive within it.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus prepares His disciples for the sorrow of His departure. “You will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” He compares it to a woman in childbirth: anguish gives way to the joy of new life. The disciples’ sorrow at the Cross would become the joy of the Resurrection. And that joy, Jesus says, “no one will take from you.” It is not a fleeting emotion; it is the deep, unshakable gladness of being loved by the One who conquered death.

The connection is clear. Paul’s vision is a lived example of Jesus’ promise. Paul had reason to fear, reason to be silent. But the Lord’s presence transformed his fear into boldness. The sorrow of rejection and persecution became the joy of seeing many come to faith. Paul could not be silenced because the One who stood beside him was greater than those who opposed him.

Pope Francis, reflecting on this passage from Acts, said, “The Lord does not promise us that we will never have problems, but He promises to be with us, to give us strength to overcome them.” Saint Augustine, contemplating the Gospel, wrote, “The joy of the Resurrection is not a joy that forgets the Cross; it is a joy that has passed through the Cross and emerged victorious.”

For us today, the message is urgent. We may face opposition in our families, in our workplaces, in our own hearts. The world may mock our faith, our values, our hope. But we are not alone. The same Lord who spoke to Paul in Corinth speaks to us: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking. I am with you.”

When we endure the sorrow of misunderstanding, rejection, or loss, let us remember the promise: grief will become joy. The labor pains of this life are not the end. The new life of the Resurrection awaits. And that joy, once given, no one can steal.

This Easter season, let us pray for the courage of Paul. Let us trust the promise of Jesus. And let us live as people who have already tasted the joy that the world cannot give and cannot take away. Amen.

May God bless you all!