O Joyful Catholics, Where Are You?
Christ the Consolator by Bloch
I was very fortunate yesterday to hear a lunch talk from Professor Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and a distinguished Catholic legal scholar and author. Her topic was on the challenges of integrating our Catholic faith with our work and the public square, a subject I have written on many times over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed her insightful talk and the following table discussion on why it is difficult to be open about our Catholic faith in the secular world. But, as I left I had a nagging feeling that possibly the underlying difficulty in integrating our faith with work and the public square is our lack of Catholic joy. Huh?
Think about it. The early Christians had the good fortune to be the first to share the Good News. Imagine the joy they felt in sharing Christ’s message of love to everyone. They stood out as happy in a suffering world, just as Christians have an opportunity to do so today. Jesus promised the Apostles (and us) this joy at the Last Supper when He said in (John 16:22): “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”
Do we show our joy at home, at work, with friends? We have so much to be truly thankful for in our relationship with Christ and the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith. But, being truly joyful should lead to sharing that joy and the ability to express the truths of our faith in a way that shows the depth of our sincere belief and love to others. Consider this quote from writer Cormac Burke: “A Christian who is not convinced he has the truth is not convinced he has Christ. Only convinced Christians have any chance of convincing others. Half-convinced Christians won’t even half-convince anybody. They won’t convince at all.”
Saint Paul reinforces the call to be joyful in (1 Thess 5:16-18): “Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” The Apostle makes it sound simple, but why do we struggle to do something that appears to be so easy? We all deal with various forms of adversity. Some of us are unemployed, some are dealing with illness and others are struggling with relationship or financial problems. The current economic crisis, the global attacks on religious liberties and the relentless attacks on the Church by the secular media have made many of us gloomy and frightened. These are real obstacles to joy and they must be acknowledged, but as (Romans 12:12) says: “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation.”
As tough as things may be, Catholics have work to do for Christ. Like the early Christians, we too are called to share the Good News. Do you recall that in the life of St. Paul he was shipwrecked, imprisoned, beaten, starved and stoned? He showed incredible courage and fortitude to share his joy and the message of Christ to the Gentiles despite his suffering. We should follow his example today.
For Catholics, joy in the midst of extreme adversity is our obligation and our duty. Remember that we are not alone. Our faith in Christ and our devotion in the Sacraments that bind us to Him will see us through the tough times and help us share a joy which will not evaporate in the face of tough challenges. Be encouraged by our Lord’s words in (John 16:33): “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
It is so easy to get lost in our problems and forget to be joyful-it happens to me and just about everyone else I know. But, remember that we are surrounded by people who are watching us. They may be seeking Him and looking for someone, anyone, to show them the way to Christ. They could learn from our good example, be inspired by our joy and be encouraged by our faith journey if we will only remember that we are called to share the Good News. If we are gloomy, frustrated, inward-focused and critical of the Church we will never be able to help anyone and may put our own salvation at risk.
Let me leave you with four simple actions which I try to follow in my desire to be joyful. This is by no means the definitive list and I would love to learn what others are doing, but here is what often works for me:
- Surrender to Christ every day and recommit to putting Him first in all areas of my life.
- Give up my burdens to Jesus in daily prayer. I can’t do it alone and I need His help!
- Be thankful for my blessings. I can dwell on my problems or I can focus on all of the incredible blessings in my life and express my gratitude in prayer.
- Start with the end in mind. Are my actions each day serving Him? I hope to hear Jesus say at the end of my life on earth, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” My goal is Heaven and I must live a life that leads me there.
Do you find it difficult or easy to share your joy? I personally subscribe to the thinking of Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York who said: “Being Catholic is not a heavy burden, snuffing the joy out of life; rather our faith in Jesus and His Church gives meaning, purpose and joy to life.”
Randy Hain is the author of The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work which will be published by Liguori Publications at the end of this year. The Catholic Briefcase is available for pre-order on Amazon.
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Category: Surrender & Strength
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AMEN, AMEN! As a Baptist we used to say that some people look like they were baptized in lemon juice. As a Catholic convert, and an older person, I know that sometimes rejuvenating our hearts (and faces) is not always easy. However, your four simple actions are right on – I may just print this out, cut them out, and tape to my bedside table.
Love and Joy attract others to us. Our faces should reflect the joy that is within us, and our demeanor towards others should express the Love of God.
This is one of your best, Randy! It reminds me of when I see our Pope, and his predecessor, JP2, I have always been struck by the joy they exude. It is clearly not put on as they seem to radiate this deeper joy that seems to almost be tangible, even though they are, in a sense, carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. This deep joy is no doubt fueled by the actions you mention at the end of your article as these servants of God practise these habits constantly, and as naturally as breathing. Our challenge is to follow their example and you have detailed how we can do so.
Carol/Tony-thank you for your kind words. Being joyful Catholics in today’s world is not easy, but we need to rise to the challenge if the world is going to change for the better.
God bless,
Randy
There is a paragraph I want to comment on: For Catholics, joy in the midst of extreme adversity is our obligation and our duty. Remember that we are not alone. Our faith in Christ and our devotion in the Sacraments that bind us to Him will see us through the tough times and help us share a joy which will not evaporate in the face of tough challenges. Be encouraged by our Lord’s words in (John 16:33): “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
It is in The Sacraments we are bound to Christ, this is so important. I must live in the state of Grace, going to Confession allows me to receive the Holy Eucharist in the fullness of Divinity, without it I have no life in me say Jesus. Having life is having joy, gratitude is fundamental in my life of joy, for the old self has died and Jesus resurrected the new self in His love and in His glory. Not for my glory but His Glory. I am nothing without Christ. With Christ I am a channel for Him to work through, so others may see the light that shines in me, be atrracted to the light and then follow, not me, but the light, and there he may find Christ for himself.
QUOTE: It is so easy to get lost in our problems and forget to be joyful-it happens to me and just about everyone else I know. But, remember that we are surrounded by people who are watching us.
In any work environment, the quality of one’s work and the real interaction with co-workers are paramount. As a former manager, many of my employees professed to be Catholic or Baptist or Mormon, etc. But the bottom line is the work ethic!! And may I add, that is not just my perception but the chatter co-workers gossip about when the “happy christian” leaves.
Everybody comes to work with problems–but if any group thinks a workplace is ripe for evangelism, then prove it by your actions, not your mouth. Complain, whine, be bitter, no sense of humor, lazy, expect someone else to do it, never give a little extra (that is what Lagniappe means), not principled, personal appearance (neat and clean), no off color or discriminating talk–that’s just a few ideas and I have witnessed everyone regardless of the tradition. The sad truth is (in my 16 years of observation and interacting with all types), the Mormons, yes, the Mormons make everyone else look like morons!!!
Joy, rejoicing, happy talk can all be a facade` but most everyone measures your inner truth by what you do. The Sacred Scriptures admonish the church to: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 (ESV).
Remember, I cannot hear you because your actions betray you!!! Peace to all.