March 19 is “Laetare” Sunday, the Sunday of gladness, the Sunday of joy!
How is it possible that, during Lent, the Church can dedicate a day to joy?
The Church is a mother and, like every mother, encourages and accompanies her children on their journey; so, with a Sunday dedicated to joy, she tells us: “Rejoice! Fill yourself with gladness because we have reached the Fourth Sunday of Lent; you have already come a long way. Keep going like this and rejoice because the joy of Easter is near!”
The Christian is a person of joy
Christian joy is not simply psychological and physical well-being; it is not the lightness that comes from a deal going well; it is not the satisfaction one feels when eating a tasty dish, buying an item, or receiving a promotion… it is not all of this, but all of this is certainly part of it. Because Christian joy, rooted in the GOSPEL = GOOD NEWS/JOYFUL NEWS, is that inner state capable of deeply “enjoying” everything and every aspect of life, beginning from a stable and firm condition that has nothing to do with the multitude of pleasant or stormy waves agitating the surface of existence.
A sea that remains calm because it is trusting
Christian joy is the calm sea underlying every breath, every step, every tear, every smile, every fall, every success, every failure…
Christian joy springs from the “joyful news” that Jesus Christ became human, died, and rose again for us, and that death is no longer frightening because He conquered it by passing through it.
Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
This is the “cry” of Easter, this is the source of joy, this is the greeting every Christian should give their neighbor every day instead of saying “good morning.”
Christ is risen; how can we not live in joy?
The Gospel opens with a proclamation of joy: “Rejoice, Mary, because you have found grace with God,” and closes with a proclamation of joy: “I will be with you every day until the end of the world.” Everything in between is life—it is our life!
May every life be a Gospel
The Christian proclamation of joy is set against a realistic view of humanity. Christian joy is based on a “despite”: despite fragility, limitations, contradictions… the Christian is a person of joy. Against the backdrop of this condition comes the great proclamation of joy: “Rejoice,” said to the Virgin; “Rejoice,” said to the shepherds on the holy night and to the women on the morning of the Resurrection: Life bursts into the precariousness of existence.
Something new has happened: who, or what, could ever stifle the joy that dwells in the heart of those who have encountered Him?
We invite you to learn about the life and writings of the servant of God Elise Bisschop, a young French woman who, although marked by illness from childhood, spreads her joy to everyone she meets with a constant smile of love. She died in 1964 at just 38, leaving behind a shining testimony of light!
