Brothers and Sisters, did you know that most of the saints were very joyful and funny people?
The joy they had was clearly seen on their faces and in their attitudes.
St. Dominic Savio said,
“We make sanctity consist in always being cheerful.”
Happiness is one of God’s gifts.
We - Christians - are called to offer to this world an authentic gladness.
We need to realise that it is essential part of our faith and of our journey towards holiness.
St Paul wants us to “be happy at all times” (1 Thes 5:16).
Of course, the root of our joy is different from the pleasures of this world.
Our joy comes from the presence of God within us.
Our happiness derives from the presence of the Holy Spirit who leads us in our daily life.
Our gladness comes from the knowledge that Jesus loves us,
that he died for us and accepts us as we are.
That awareness allows us to produce good fruits and create bright
stars even during the darkest nights of our personal and family struggles.
Knowing that God is with us always, helps us to be similar to John the Baptist who was “a witness to
speak for the light” (Jn 1:3).
We have a similar mission on earth: to speak enthusiastically about
Jesus who is the Light of the world.
Some people say that believers in God appear to be sad.
Well, that’s right, we just appear to be sad, but we are happy people, happy in the Lord.
Not even suffering can disconnect us from the joy of the Holy Spirit within us.
Because of our relationship with God, crosses and difficulties of our daily life become sweet burdens.
Over the years, I have come to a realisation that this reality can be understood very easily
by true believers in God.
But atheists, I spoke to, couldn’t grasp this idea that crosses become easy with the Lord’s help.
That’s why they would like to eliminate, by all cost, any pain from their lives.
That is one of the reasons why different countries of the world introduced abortion.
That’s why elderly people have to face a prospect of euthanasia in so many nations on earth including Australia.
Any form of pain has to be rejected by those who don’t believe in God.
Sometimes even those who say, they believe, support crimes against humanity because
they want to live their lives without any difficulties.
Throughout the centuries Christianity proved that it had the answer to those issues.
Unfortunately, many people don’t want to accept our point of view.
They reject an idea that every human being has eternal value, especially when suffering.
They refuse the idea that every human being is precious in God’s eyes.
So, what shall we do?
I think, we need to continue to smile and share our experience of God’s love with others,
even with those who disagree with us.
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Joy is a net of love by which we catch souls.”
Let us pray and hope that each one of us will be able to bring to conversion and
salvation at least one person while on earth.
I am sure, by doing that, we will make Jesus smile.