The greatest cause of atheism in the world is the lack of joy in Christians.
How can anyone believe in Christ when we treat our fellow human beings as if they are objects, luggage? How is anyone to know that we are different in our love of God if we nothing different than those around us? How is anyone to see Christ if our lives are constantly lived in misery?
Time after time we are told of the trials and persecutions of the saints and we read time and again how they endured all of their persecutions and all of their trials with great joy. God is that good!
Good wants to transform your life. Are you going to let Him or do you like your misery that much? Do you enjoy the fact that you do not seem happy? That God doesn't seem to be present because your life is constantly in misery?
God may allow certain trials for certain amounts of time but God does not want and never desires for us that we are joyless.
How do we find joy when we live in a world that has all of the problems that we see?
Simply by having faith and living in hope.
How can we not be joyful when we know that in the end Christ wins?
How can we not be joyful when we know that in the end the victory is God's!
God, the Creator of the universe became as one of us so that He may make the greatest sacrifice in order to spend eternity with us! How can we not live in joy! There is nothing on earth that we can ever experience that can cloud that joy if we were to understand it in all of its fullness!
How can you envy when Christ is walking with you? How can you not have hope when Christ is beside you, the resurrected Christ, glorified and Ascended! Even if you mourn, your love is a reason to understand your fellow human beings and God that much more! Given all of that, how can you not be joyful?
It is our joy that will be apparent in our sanctification. "That I may be in them and their joy may be complete!" What type of joy is that? A joy that is contagious? A joy that is lived fully? A joy that permeates our very being?
This type of joy is contagious. This type of joy raises questions. This type of joy causes people to stop. This type of joy is dangerous. A person that is joyful despite the trials and persecutions of the world is a person that is dangerous to the world. A person that is dangerous to the world is not made for this world but for the Kingdom to come.
Where is the power that is found in the Scripture? Why do we not see it in the Church today? Why do we not see the healings? Why do we not see the conversions? Why do we not see the great outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit?
Certainly there must be a lack of faith.
This must be because of our lack of joy. Our lack of joy displays a lack of faith because we get caught up in the drama of the everyday life. Our lack of joy leads to a lack of passion. Our lack of passion leads to a lack of commitment.
Think about your own pursuit of sainthood.
Do you rejoice? Is joy a vital part of your life?
But you don't understand how hard my life is! You don't know what I have going on in my life! My life is so difficult! If I could only get through "this particular trial" or "that particular trial" then my life will be easier and I will have more joy. What if that doesn't happen? what if life is exactly what is being presented to you right now? Christ has given you the gifts to do what you need to do. Christ wants you to be a saint. Ask for the Grace to be joyful.
Look around you.
Find that joy.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you consider yourself joyful? Do other people consider you joyful?
- What do you need in order to become more joyful? What if that doesn't happen? How can you find joy in the life that you have right now?
- If joy is something that is a choice, a change that we make in our lives in order to pursue sainthood, what is one thing that you can do to change your perspective on life in order to be more joyful?
- Who is someone in your life that you consider to be joyful? Describe why you consider them that way?
- What is it about certain people that draws others to them? List some of those qualities. What of those qualities is reflected in Christ?
- Laugh. Take the opportunity today to laugh often. If someone tries to drag you into a drama and to take things seriously and to start to argue, laugh. If someone hurts your feelings, laugh. Let Christ be joyful in you.
- Make note of the times during the day when it is difficult to be joyful. What causes you to become angry? What are the "joy robbers" in your life? Are they people? Are they situations?
- After making a list of the "joy robbers" in your own life, write a solution to each of them. What can you do to bring more joy into your own life? Pray that Christ blesses you with the opportunity to see the joy.
- Take the opportunity to share the reason for your joy with another person. If you are finding it difficult to be joyful, ask another person to pray that you are more joyful.
- Learn a joke. Tell it. Often.
Jesus Prayer:
(Every time you walk through a door) "Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
Anima Christi (Soul of Christ) (to be said in the morning)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O my sweet Jesus hear me;
within your wounds hide me;
suffer me never to be separated from you;
from the malignant enemy defend me;
at the hour of my death call me; and bid me come to you;
that with your saints I may praise you forever. Amen.
Act of Hope (to be said at noon)
O my God, relying on your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Come Holy Spirit (to be said in the evening)
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Oh God, who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in that same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in his consolation. Through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
The Apostles Creed: (to be said before you start your work)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
St. Paul to the Romans: (to be said after a discussion with someone)
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
