Pope Francis said to us at the beginning of this week: “The Jesuit is a servant of the joy of the Gospel.” and “The Good News ought not to be given with a sad face, but rather, with joy!” Furthermore he said: “Joy is not only decorative, it is also a clear indicator of grace, it shows that love is active, working and present.” But how do we find this deep Joy?
Pope Francis explains it in his Apostolic Exhortation Envangelii Gaudium, where he emphasizes that the source of joy is only the perpetual encounter with the living God:
“Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization.“
Evangelii Gaudium, 8.
God of all Consolation and Source of all true life, we praise you for you gave us everything in the coming of Jesus Christ, he, your incarnate mercy!
Save us from narrowness and self-absorption.
Grant us the grace of the discernment of Spirits to discover the difference between long lasting joys and transient joys.
Grant us us the grace of love, broadmindedness and magnanimity.
Grant us the grace of consolation and joy.
So that we may be true and faithful Servants of your gospel with a heart filled with your love and with a face radiating the joy of your resurrection.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.