Mourning and Rejoicing

Sorrow never entirely leaves the soul

of those who have suffered a severe loss. . . .

but this depth of sorrow is the sign of a healthy soul,

not a sick soul.

It does not have to be morbid or fatalistic.

It is not something to escape but something to embrace.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Sorrow indicates that people who have suffered loss are living authentically

in a world of misery, and it expresses the emotional anguish

of people who feel pain for themselves or for others.

Sorrow is noble and gracious.

It enlarges the soul until the soul is capable of

mourning and rejoicing simultaneously,

of feeling the world’s pain and hoping for the world’s healing at the same time.

However painful, sorrow is good for the soul.

~ Jerry Sittser, A Grace Disguised