13 May 2016
As Pope Francis reminds us, there is joy in the gospel. There is joy in being a Catholic
Christian. There is joy in sharing the
Christian life with others. There is joy
in having Christ as our most intimate companion through life. But, the joy of the gospel is, well . . . it’s
different.
We have here today a snapshot of the joy that Saints Peter
and Paul experienced. Paul was arrested,
dragged before the Sanhedrin, left in limbo for a while waiting for Caesar, and
eventually beheaded. Peter, on the other
hand, was told by Jesus that he’d be taken to places he’d probably rather not
go. They both suffered for love of God,
and they had joy in that.
Gospel joy isn’t worldly joy.
Gospel joy comes from sticking with it, especially when the going gets
rough. It’s the kind of joy athletes
feel when they push themselves. It’s the
joy newlyweds have after they make it through their first big fight; and they
make it through together, and love each other even more because of it.
There is joy in the gospel.
There’s joy in being a Catholic Christian. But it’s joy which comes with a price. And the price is: Commitment . . . commitment
through thick and thin. There is joy in
Christianity; and it’s the joy of sacrificial love.
As we approach the Altar to receive that Sacrament of
sacrificial love, we do it with joy. Not
superficial joy, but the joy of a people who are committed to God—to God who is
joyfully, sacrificially committed to us.
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