For the joy of
the Lord is your strength
Living as we do in difficult and uncertain times it is all too
easy to become downcast, to let the cares of the world, our worries and our
frailties get us down. It can be all too easy not understand quite what God may
have in store for us. We can be like Mary and Martha perplexed at why Jesus does
not come immediately, why he goes away, only to return once they fear all hope
is lost.
In such moments which happen to us all from time to time, we
can trust that our vocation as Christians is one of JOY, a joy which comes from
the Lord. The following words of Fulton Sheen are helpful in reminding us of
this:
Lightness of spirit is related to
Redemption, for it lifts us out of precarious situations. As soon as a priest
goes in for revolutionary tactics in politics he becomes boringly serious. This
world is all there is, and therefore he takes political involvements without a
grain of salt. One rarely sees a Commissar smile. Only those who are ‘in the
world, not of it’ can take events seriously and lightly. Joy is born by
straddling two worlds – one the world of politics, the other of grace.
Those
Mysterious Priests 1974: 238
In this evening’s first lesson we see the people of Israel
celebrating. They are told to ‘Eat the fat and drink sweet
wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to
our Lord’ (Neh. 8:10). There is something about feasting and rejoicing
which is good for the soul, the Christian faith should never be dour or miserable,
we proclaim Good News to all the world. There is also the instruction to give
to those who have not. Our faith is something which needs to be put into action
– it requires a generosity of spirit, of showing love and care to all those
around us – to care for the spiritual and physical well-being of our fellow men
and women. This generosity and care, like that of God for us, forms the church
into a community of love, a place where people may have an encounter with the
living God, and through His Holy Spirit receive joy and peace.
As Christians it is up to us to help make this a reality here
and now. We live in the expectation of Our Lord’s Second coming, so surely we
should be doing what he tells us, living out our faith in the world, so that it
may believe. Our lives need to be attractive, and filled with joy, freed from
the cares of this world, freed to sing God’s praise, freed to share his love
with others.
As people rooted in the joy and generosity which characterise
the love of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus Our Lord, we can all be truly
joyful, knowing that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Our strength as the
people of God comes from Him who saves us out of love, who commands us to feast
(as well as fast) a feast we celebrate day by day and week by week when we feed
on the Sacrament of Our Lord’s Body and Blood in Holy Communion, to be
strengthened body and soul to love Him and serve Him, and to live out His joy
in our lives. It really is the most wonderful thing, it should leave us with
beaming smiles and joyous expectation to share the love and joy with others. So
let is live out our vocation, to be joyous Christians, servants of a loving God, to the praise and honour of his
name.
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