The anguish of the flesh

In today’s Gospel (John 16:20-23), our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speaks of the disciples’ pain and grief at His parting:

When 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.

So 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.

Labor pains and the grief of losing a loved one are natural human feelings. Although the anguish feels bad, however, bringing a child into the world is a good thing in itself and love for another person, when moral, is also good in itself.

There are other human feelings, associated with our fallen human nature, that also cause anguish but are linked with evil – even among believers and servants of Christ.

These evils must be stopped and the Church must do what it can to heal the victims.

Yet it must never be forgotten that the origin of these evils is the flesh – fallen human nature – not to be condoned but to be remedied, by prudent action (always focusing on protection of the defenseless) and most importantly by God’s grace.

Nor can we ever allow the enemies of the Faith – who wallow in the flesh – to use failures of the flesh among believers as a weapon against the Faith.

Sins and crimes of the flesh must be stopped and prevented, but the ultimate answer lies never in the flesh but always in eternity: in the will and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May we be ever more faithful to Him as we continue our journeys and struggles in this world.

So 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.