May 11 Thu
Joy - Our Lord is going away to prepare a place for us in his Father's house, because now we are God's children. Since we are favored children of God, he is preparing for us a place in heaven, which will mean unlimited happiness. And so that we attain it, he has already given us in this world the life of grace, which is a certain principle of glory in us: a foretaste of heaven.

“Christians have to aspire to the highest peaks of all, to the infinite. Our aim is the very Love of God, to enjoy that Love fully, with a joy that never ends. We have seen in so many ways that things here below have to come to an end for all of us, when this world ends; and even sooner, for each individual, when he dies, for we cannot take wealth and prestige with us to the grave. That is why, buoyed up by hope, we raise our hearts to God himself and have learned to pray: ‘I have placed my hope in you, O Lord: may your hand guide me now and at every moment, for ever and ever.’” St Josemaría

Meanwhile, even on earth we can also have a taste of great happiness, enjoying here and now in this world the hope of a glory which, when we finally achieve it, will satisfy us totally. It is good and even necessary to hope for heaven: it inspires and encourages us in times of special difficulty, when we find it hard to work with no earthly reward.
St Josemaría said: “Let's bear all difficulties as we sail the seas of this world, in the hope of heaven. For ourselves and for all souls who want to love, the goal is reaching heaven, the glory of heaven. Otherwise, nothing whatever is worthwhile. To get to heaven we have to be faithful. And to be faithful, we have to struggle, forging ahead on our way, even if sometimes we fall flat on our face; with God, we will rise again.”

If we are united to God, the joy of our life, nothing should make us sad. St John Chrysostom asks: “What could perturb a saint? Death? No! For he desires it as a prize. Insults? No! For Christ taught us to bear them: Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you. Illnesses? Not those either. For Scripture reminds us: Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you, be patient. For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. What then could upset a saint? Nothing. In this world, even joy usually ends in sadness. But for those who live their lives according to Christ, even troubles are turned into joy.”
Whatever happens, omnia in bonum! Everything works together for the good.