By: Carol Ann Hoppe OSF
On the morning I chose to write this reflection, I prayed to the Holy Spirit. Lo and behold! There in the Morning Praise of our Franciscan Prayer was the verse: "I have said these things to you so that My Joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." (Jn 15:11 from Jesus' Last Supper discourse).
The words and ministry of Jesus, preserved in the written gospels, can be the beginning of joy for us as we ponder and contemplate gospel stories. Encountering Jesus in Person will cause joy to grow as we experience that Jesus Himself IS Joy!
As Pope Francis tell us in the opening sentences of Evangelii Gaudium, "The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus... With Christ joy is constantly born anew."
Sowing joy can only come as we live Jesus, as we live Joy, in our daily lives.