Sometimes the best thing to do is cry. Jesus Himself cried (Lk 19:41). He called those weeping "blest" (Lk 6:21). Sometimes, like Jeremiah, we should pray to cry. Many of us reading this have not cried for years. Others cry often but for the wrong reasons. We must cry for things for which we've never cried. We may even need to cry for several days (Neh 1:4).
We should pray for some tears to be wiped away (Rv 21:4) and other tears to well up and pour out like a river. Jesus prophesied: "I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy" (Jn 16:20).
For the Lord to dry our tears, we must first cry. We should not be ashamed to cry, but rather ashamed to not cry, considering the evils in our midst. Tears of sorrow often precede tears of joy. Our Father counts our tears one by one. He stores them in His flask (Ps 56:9).
| PRAYER: | Father, I want to "rejoice with those who rejoice" and "weep with those who weep" (Rm 12:15). |
| PROMISE: | "The saints will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let everyone heed what he hears!" –Mt 13:43 |
| PRAISE: | Edward received the gift of tears when he prayed for the Holy Spirit, tears of joy, not woe. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College