March 24 – Holding Joy and Sorrow Together
Do not be surprised that you are both sorrowful and joyful; for this also is the way of the saints. St. Macarius the Great
Gregg’s Reflection
In the past, I believed joy and sorrow were opposite ends of a spectrum — you were either happy or sad, but never both. Life has taught me otherwise. Some of my most joyful moments have been tinged with tears, and some of my deepest grief has been held in the company of laughter and love.
This is part of living in the “now and not yet” of God’s kingdom. We celebrate the glimpses of redemption even as we grieve what is still broken. Holding joy and sorrow together requires a heart that is open — not numbing itself to pain, not clutching so tightly to happiness that it slips away.
Over time, I’ve learned that God’s presence is often most real in these blended moments. It’s here, in the bittersweet, that we remember Christ is both the Man of Sorrows and the giver of abundant joy.
Scripture
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15
Ancient Quotes
Joy and sorrow are inseparable… together they come and when one sits alone with you… remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Do not be surprised that you are both sorrowful and joyful; for this also is the way of the saints.
St. Macarius the Great, Homilies, 4.9
Modern Quotes
The soul would have no rainbow if the eye had no tears.
Attributed to John Vance Cheney, echoing older wisdom traditions
The work of the mature person is to hold opposites together — the pain and the promise, the grief and the glory — and to find God in the tension.
Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, p. 156
Journaling Prompts
- Where in your life do joy and sorrow coexist right now?
- How have you tended to handle the tension between the two?
- What might God be teaching you through the blend of emotions?
- How can you stay open to both without clinging to either?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 12 Reflection: Equanimity