A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to mourn - namely, for the dead (Genesis 23:2).
Dance - as David before the ark (2 Samuel 6:12-14; Psalms 30:11; spiritually, Matthew 9:15; Luke 6:21; Luke 15:25). The Pharisees, by requiring sadness out of time, erred seriously. The Church's temporary sorrow shall be ultimately turned into joy (John 16:20). Meanwhile, let us not force ourselves to laughter unseasonably, forestalling God's time, like the world, that gilds over its misery, and then falls a victim to despair (Matthew 9:15).