INTERLUDE: 

CONCLUDING COMMENTS ON JOY

AND 

THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL, 

Evangelii Gaudium

SELECTED QUOTES

CONCLUDING COMMENTS ON JOY

As we walk it all through, it’s likely that this joy (which has been a focus in this series) will not come as soon as we would like. (But God’s“slow” does not mean “no”, thank heavens!). So much in the Lord’s realm is not "instant", as so many of us "modern" Christians have been culturally formed to expect.

Despite all the pain and trouble in life—and definitely more in some lives than others—the statement is still well worth making:

The joy of the Lord is quite possible—or rather, one of those “natural” improbabilities/ impossibilities made possible by the action of the Holy Spirit and grace. It is as possible as any other fruit of the (Holy) Spirit… that joy that runs deep, and bubbles up in various ways.

(As we mentioned in the last blog), living joy in the midst of undesirable situations is not magic. It’s not like flipping a switch and it’s there forever. But it is REAL. It will be tested at times. But it can be chosen again and again.

We open the door when we choose to look where the Lord shows us to focus: on the “good”; on His call; on His grace and beauty, goodness and majesty; on His plans and purposes (requiring, at times, that we tear ourselves away from our own); on all that gives cause for gratitude…

Pursuing joy, hopefully, is, never-the-less, desirable—for Jesus said it is as we seek that we will find. Again, connected to all this is news that we “moderns” may not see as so desirably good. It is this fact: Deep, abiding joy usually comes at a price... that price being: surrender to (then rejoicing in) the Lord and His ways.

On the human, emotional, desire-physical-tangible level, we can’t do it by ourselves. And that often means: surrender to the cross... and a willingness to wait... for "Resurrection" ... on His timetable. (Again, volumes could—and have been—written on this paragraph alone.) Our flesh wants to say: “None of that is ‘good’ news!”

In the midst of impatience and all that we want right now, we sometimes can’t possibly see this as “good news”. But with some patience, we can look forward to the Resurrection aspects connected to the difficulties (and even know that some of our surrendered pain is specifically used by the Lord as a “ransom for many”[as it was with Him] for the benefit of others.)

Also, combined with Jesus’ prayer “that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven”… we can hope and believe in some aspects of resurrection life down here on earth—in His ways and in His time. 

We can pray for the hope and the confidence and the obedient heart to (1) stay on the journey long enough to reach resurrection time and (2)cooperate with the process of resurrection--after we lived so long in suffering, death and loss.

Although we wrote a blog last year specifically on Pope Francis’ THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL. this seems like a good time to take another look at some of what he had to say about “joy”.

THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL, Evangelii Gaudium

We will end this blog with some quotations from Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel.

Pope Francis expressed the joyous and contagious attitude from which the“good news” was to be spread throughout the earth. He had thoughts about the need for this, about how this could be carried out, and some affirming reflections on “joy”, itself…

“… [T]hese instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ… Thanks solely to this encounter—or renewed encounter—with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from the narrowness of self-absorption … For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others? “ 

“[E]vangelization is first…preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. Many of them are quietly seeking God, led by a yearning to see his face… It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but ‘by attraction’… Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty, and who invite others to a delicious banquet.” 

“ ‘No one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. ‘ …No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her… The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk: whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms… No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will… [H]is life… impels us onward!” 

Pope Francis presents many scriptures concerning “joy”.

“ ‘Shout aloud and sing for joy!’ [Isa. 12:6]…

‘Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength… ‘ [Isa. 40:9].

‘Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! …For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.’ [Isa. 49:13].

‘Rejoice greatly…! Shout aloud…! Lo, your king come to you; triumphant and victorious is he.’ [Zech. 9:9]

‘The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives you the victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival.’ [Zeph. 3:17]” 1

“The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice…

‘Rejoice!’ is the angel’s greeting to Mary. [Lk. 1:28].

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb [cf.Lk 1:41]… Mary proclaims: ‘My spirit rejoices in God my Savior’ [Lk.1:47].

When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: ‘For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled’ [Jn. 3:29].

Jesus himself ‘rejoiced in the Holy Spirit’ [Lk. 10:21]… [and] brings us joy: ‘I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete’ [Jn. 15:11].

Our Christian joy drinks of the wellspring of his brimming heart… ‘You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy’ [Jn. 16:20]…

‘But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you’ [Jn. 16:22].

The disciples ‘rejoiced’ [Jn. 20:20] at the sight of the risen Christ…

[T]he first Christians ‘ate their food with glad and generous hearts’ [Acts 2:46].

Wherever the disciples went, ‘there was great joy’ [Acts 8:8]; even amid persecution they continued to be ‘filled with joy’ [Acts 13:52]…

Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?” 

So, why should we not also [desire to, seek to] enter into this great stream of joy??

Look for more on "Divine Mercy" coming up:

The series continues with Part IV:

DIVINE MERCY THEME IN PAPAL WRITINGS

followed by:

Part V (after Divine Mercy Sunday):

SHARING THE MERCIFUL HEART

OF THE TRINITY

SOURCE:

The Joy of the Gospel, Evangelii Gaudium, Vatican translation, Pauline Books