Thought of the Day January 30, 2019 Enter into the joy of the Lord
Just as the joy of Jesus was contagious, so our joy
is meant
to impact and affect others around us. Have you
ever been
around a joyful person for a long time and did feel
the joy
welling up in you? And the opposite is true. Have
you ever
been around a negative and depressed person and not
leave
with a down feeling yourself? The difference is what is shared
intentionally or unintentionally.
Again listen to the Holy Father’s wisdom.
“If we keep this joy to ourselves it will
make us sick in the end,
our
hearts will grow old and wrinkled and our faces will no
longer
transmit that great joy only nostalgia, melancholy which
is
not healthy. Sometimes these melancholy Christians faces
have
more in common with pickled peppers than the joy of
having
a beautiful life. Joy cannot be held at heel: it must be
let
go. Joy is a pilgrim virtue.”
When
we have the joy of the Lord within us, we will have the
freedom
to sing and dance before the Lord’s presence like
David
did before the Ark of the Covenant. He did this not to draw
attention
to himself but as a sign of his gratitude for the fidelity of God.
In
the words of St. Augustine: “The Christian should be an Alleluia from
head
to foot.” Or as St. John of the Cross
has said: The soul of one
who
loves God always
swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in
the mood for
singing. Learn to enter into the joy of the Lord. (To be
continued)
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