"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love." - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
I've just started to read a certain book this week, and I have to say it's near perfect. It describes the toughest things I can partake in, and yet it was written by a man of total 'mirth', as he'd put it. The book I've begun reading is titled, "Orthodoxy", and it was written by G. K. Chesterton, the goofy-looking man you can see to the right.
Chesterton was always known as a very energetic person, especially about defending the faith! He reminded people in his writings of the need for "mirth" as a defense against insanity, against the modern philosophies which placed total importance in "logical" thinking that were gaining increasing popularity at the time. Chesterton, in his Catholic faith, knew that alongside logic, which itself is a good as a gift from God for us to be made in His image, people must possess the necessary defense against the skepticism logic can bring if used improperly: Joy. Total joy because we have a Savior Who loves to save, because we have a Bridegroom Who wants us to be completely His!
In telling people about Jesus, we cannot only have rational theology backing us up, or simply being excited. We need the joy He gives us about Him, the joy that is seen in people grinning largely whenever they realize they have a chance to tell someone about the Lord Jesus Christ. We need the joy that we can all find in Adoration, in confessing our sins and being absolved from them, in all the Sacraments, most especially in receiving our Lord Himself, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity! What else would be more joyous in this mortal life than to receive God Himself, Love and Mercy and all goodness Himself?
The reason it's so necessary is because people, especially youth, nowadays are so entrapped by the disparity of this fallen world, so much so that any joy they might have at one point is quickly forgotten in the crashing storms of trials and sufferings of each day. Everything is rushed nowadays, and because of that people feel distraught in the midst of it all, not sure where to turn. This is not what the Lord wants! Instead, in their sufferings, and outside of them, the Lord God wants everyone to seek Him through that with a feeling of joy from the chance to seek after Love Himself!
Joy is so necessary because people desperately need it. Everyone is hungry for more and more joy in their life, in what they say and do, who they are and will be. So to bring them closer to Christ we need to have that joy ourselves, so that they can see Who is giving it to us!
So don't just be happy about the Lord Jesus; be joyful! Be ecstatic, be impatient to get to Mass and the Sacraments, always be open to the joy God gives you so you can be a sign to others, as well as because of the happiness it gives you, which makes Him happy! Be His lover, excited to bring others to Him every day!
Saint Paul and all you holy men and women, please pray for us, that we can be on fire in the joy of God to show to others that such joy is possible!
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