"The closer the Lord is to us, the more joy we feel; the farther away he is, the more sadness we feel." (Pope Francis)

Why is that so true? When our relationship with Jesus is authentic, then his presence brings peace, love and joy. But when we are far away from him, there is an emptiness, a loneliness, a sense of sadness that borders on depression. Mary, the sister of Martha, had great joy just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to him.  On the other hand, Martha was full of anxiety for she was away from Jesus preparing a meal. When was the last time you experienced authentic joy? When was the last time you experienced deep sadness? Where were in relationship with Jesus at those times? Pope Francis also said, "This is the first condition of Christian joy: to decentralize from oneself and place Jesus at the center."