Mass Readings

Catholic Ireland

Friday, Seventh Week of Easter

Sorry due to a technical fault we have no readings in Irish available today, sorry!

Gospel Reflection

10^th May, Friday, Sixth Week of Easter                                                            John 16:20-23

In the gospel reading, Jesus reflects upon a woman’s experience of giving birth to a child to cast light for his disciples on his forthcoming passion and death. The pain a woman experiences in giving birth is the necessary prelude to the unique joy of holding for the first time her new born child. In the joy experienced at holding this new life the pain of childbirth is, at least momentarily, forgotten. Jesus is saying that the pain of his coming passion and death for himself and his disciples is the prelude to the new life of Easter in which he and his disciples will rejoice within three days of his death. For the disciples, the sadness of death, of Jesus’ departure, will give way to the joy of his new life, his coming to them again. Whereas the sadness of Calvary will be overcome by the joy of Easter, the joy of Easter will never be overcome, ‘that joy no one shall take from you’. From the first Easter Sunday onwards, they will continue to live in the light of Easter and there will be a joy in that experience, even in the difficult and troubling moments that lie ahead, of which there will be many. The Lord is reminding us that we always walk in the light of Easter, even when we are experiencing some dark valley or other. We can taste something of the joy of Easter, the Lord’s own joy, even when deep sadness comes over us, because the risen Lord is always with us. This light and joy of Easter which cannot be taken form us is the foretaste of the eternal light and unending joy of the kingdom of heaven. The light and joy of Easter in the here and now can empower us to be channels of the Lord’s light and joy to others, especially to those who struggle to find it.

The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings 2021,2024: The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications 2022/23, c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/