Sunday, March 16, 2014

10th Day of Lent

As we continue our Lenten journey with the brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, today's reflection is about laughter and fun in the life of Jesus. Scripture doesn't mention times when Jesus told jokes, or tickled a child. But as a complete human being, surely he did those things. He surely laughed and elicited laughter from his friends. There surely were times of fun together, as with any relationship between friends does. The SSJE brothers asked us today: Is God present to you through joy? 

Now to me, Joy is different from happiness. Joy is a deeper, more complete "knowing", not something that can be fleeting like happiness. The following is my answer to the question:

      I am most aware of God’s presence in my life through the experience of Joy. Joy is that overwhelming sense of wellbeing (of being loved and cared for by God) that brings the certainty that, as St. Julian of Norwich said, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well”. And, through her statement, awareness dawns that the “shall be” has become present tense. No matter the circumstances, all things are well as we live into God’s love.

What answer do you have?

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