Mourning

'Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted'.

to mourn is to be troubled with grief and sadness: and to be comforted is to receive love and understanding.

It is the same in our religious life but the mourning then has a spiritual quality, and is felt more deeply.

We mourn in spirit in periods of temptation, and when we become conscious of our many mistakes; and think of our worthlessness and lost opportunities. Then in our grief we come to know we need the Lord, for in this no one else can help us: our hearts cry out to Him and He turns our sorrow into joy. Thus comfort comes.

One of the strangest and most wonderful of spiritual experiences is, that we may feel the deepest distress and sorrow and at the same time be conscious of great happiness interiorly. Grief and sorrow soften the hardness of our hearts, and make it possible for the Lord's comforting love to enter.

Sometimes we seem to come into a state of mourning unexpectedly, if however we examine the position we will probably find we have lost our vision, and our happiness in the Lord. Perhaps we have forgotten to read His Word, and have neglected our prayers. Then when trouble comes we remember and again run to Him. This turning to Him brings comfort, for the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart.

Spiritual mourning is a sign that we really do want to follow Jesus, otherwise we would not care about His love at all.

Though spiritual mourning is in itself a state of grief and distress, it brings us away from the love of ourselves and nearer to the love of the Lord. Then the more closely we are conjoined to Him the happier we become.

PRAYER

'Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions' (Psalm 51, 1).

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