Happy to Mourn?

Jesus said, Blessed [happy] are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

To mourn usually means to grieve over a death.  But the kingdom of earth today confronts us with many other reasons to mourn. Think of the sufferings in Ukraine and in Niger, the suicide and drug deaths in our own nation, and the misery of the world’s poor. All of that is mournful. 

Then, what does comforted mean?  Well, in Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus, the sinful rich man is suffering in Hell but Lazarus is comforted here. So, we who mourn will be comforted by being taken to heaven. 

OK, but what about now? What about mourning the deaths of those we love, our own and others’ sufferings, and the lies and hypocrisy flooding our nation? Here’s three thoughts: 

One: Right now, we have the comfort of knowing that God hears our prayers for our friends and even for our enemies. Two: Right now, we believe we are doing what God wants done, and He will care for what comes next—and that is a mature comfort. Three: Right now, we can say that anything we mourn or suffer, Almighty God is mourning and suffering right along with us. And that is the greatest comfort. Our God accompanies us when we rejoice and accompanies us when we suffer.

There is our comfort in Christ Jesus. We ask for it in the Lord’s Prayer, who promised that He will come again with His angels and saints to make all things new. All of us who mourn have prayed millions of times: Thy kingdom come! And it will, and that is our comfort. 

Fr. Joe Tetlow, S.J.