Life is beautiful when it is filled with true Joy. True Joy does not come from outside nor is it dependent on anything trivial and transient. Rather, true Joy comes from within, from one’s heart.
A heart that is nurtured and nourished by the Word of God and greased by the oil of the Holy Spirit. It is from such a heart, that submits itself to the Will and the daily transforming and purifying power of the Holy Spirit in humble prayer, that true joy flows.
Joy that the world cannot give because it is rooted in the mystery of the Father-child relationship with God.
Blessed is he or she, who has found such a state of being.
Such a Joy that flows from the conviction of one’s relationship with a loving father and a nurturing mother-God is enduring. It endures even when the external world speaks a different language such as fear, anxiety, disappointment, failure, sickness, financial crisis etc.
The one internal language of Joy overrides all other contrary life experiences. It is a heart full of joy that sings a song of forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, hope and dances to the tune of love that is characterized by works of mercy, humility of life, empathic engagement with other people and meaningful relationship with oneself, neighbour, environment and God.
It is this inner joy, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit that inspires one to sing, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name (Ps 103:1). This inner joy also serves as light that enlightens one’s heart and mind to the true realization of the Divine goodness and the wonders of God in one’s life.
From this background, one can understand the source and the course of the song of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour…”(Lk. 1:46f).
Such a recognition is so powerful that one cannot remain mute but sing and declare the good works of God, the God who does not judge nor condemn but rather seeks after those who go astray and brings them back into His fold (cf. Lk 15:4-7), the God who says, “my child your sins are forgiven you” (Mtt. 9;2), the God who says “I have come so that you may have life to the full” (John 10:10).
Such words from the mouth of God liberates the soul and sets the heart free from all its burdens. Because God does not condemn me but welcomes me and loves me just the way I am.
God accepts me for who I am and gently shows me the right path that leads to freedom as a child of God. This is how the heart or the soul experiences the healing touch of God and becomes flooded with Joy, joy that the world cannot not give.
The joy within motivates one to work courageously on one’s weakness while trusting in the Grace of God which is capable of transforming that which is weak into something strong and turn that which is considered useless into a vessel of glory, honour and admiration.
This process of divine transformational act is constant at work in each of us. Because it is the Will of God that we all have life to the full, but, not without our conscious cooperation.
We need to avail ourselves in a spirit of humility, trust and obedience to the Holy Spirit, who is with us. Our prayer should be, “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief” and the Holy Spirit will take up from there. That is the path to freedom and true Joy, joy in the heart that the world cannot give.
God invites us all to live such a moment fully here and now.
By Sr. Esther Kutie, SVI (Catholic Sisters Communicator Network, Ghana)
