When I was a child back in the Green Isle, many was the time I heard my Great Grandmother say: 'And Jesus wept!'. The times she said it most was when news of some tragedy or other was heard.
Once I asked me Ma why Great Gran said it, and Ma told me that she said it because it comes from the Bible. It says in the Bible that Jesus looked down on Jerusalem and wept because he knew of the troubles that were to befall the people. So I guess it was that my Great Grannie used the expression to indicate that her heart was going out to the people concerned, just as the Blessed Savior's heart went out to them.
As I wrote recently, many there are who are too glad when they hear something bad about another person. My Great Grannie was not such a one. When bad things happened, when bad news spread about, her heart was compassionate toward those involved.
I remember one time back in the village, I was with my Grannie when she stopped to talk to old Mr. O'Donnell. Mr. O'Donnell, as all we young folk thought, was a bachelor, and as was obvious to all, he had a wicked sense of humor, and a great laugh. If there was merriment to be had some place, Mr. O'Donnell was sure to be in the thick of it.
After me Grannie and me left off talking with the old gent that day, I remember asking her why Mr. O'Donnell was always so happy. Grannie stopped dead in her tracks, looked down at me and said: 'May the good Lord grant that you could be so happy in the face of adversity!' I hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about, and so later asked my Da.
He told me that some people can only be happy when everything is going aright in their lives, but that God had blessed Mr. O'Donnell with a spirit of joy for all the suffering his life had seen.
It appeared that Mr. O'Donnell had lost two small children in a fire, and shortly thereafter, lost his eldest in a farming accident. The shock of it all sent his wife 'round the bend and she ended up in the loony bin, where she remained till the day she died.
Mr. O'Donnell, not giving in to the Devil's evil intent, determined never to let his personal sorrow rub off onto those around him, and so for the rest of his life, made the effort to bring joy to everyone he met.
None of us knows what the Good Lord or the Devil (or come to think of it - all those nasty so and so's) has in store for us in our life. We don't know the future, and no matter how we see ourselves and our character now, we don't know how we will respond when adversity strikes.
But it remains true none the less, that when Shakespeare's 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' strike, we can either give up and die, or fight to reclaim our joy and happiness.
It's an easy thing to gossip about others, and it is an easy thing to see ourselves as victims. It's not so easy to keep our thoughts and our mouths joyous and positive. In the end however, no matter what we think about our lives, it is we who must live them and it is we who must choose how to live them.
As Easter draws near, may you find peace and comfort in our Blessed Savior, strengthened by the example of his dedication and sacrifice.
John J. (Jack) Walsh
John J. Walsh, a Catholic, is originally from Ireland; went to high school and university in Australia, and later moved to the U.S.A. He lives in the Midwest and is married to an American. He now has a lot of time on his hands and is taking the opportunity to see some of his musings in print. Fearing the hot blooded protestants and not wanting to reach heaven or hell faster than is God's plan, his personal email address and other particulars are not available for publication. You may however Email him at: johnjwalsh-magic @live.com
