[김애란] ‘Rejoice and be glad’

‘Rejoice and be glad’ 

By Kim Ae-ran

"God loves a cheerful giver." (2Cor 9:7) How to live with joy in our daily lives is an enduring task for all people. Joy is something like a trademark or symbol representing not only personal but communitarian happiness, dignity, and satisfaction. Blooming smiles and laughter reveal the inner condition of the heart. Joy is truly the fruit and the witness of virtuous life. 

St. Paul recommends us to be joyful always throughout his epistles. The message of joy as in the first letter to Thessalonians 1:16, "Always be joyful!" is repeated again and again in the New Testament. "Rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again, rejoice!" (Phil 4:4)

Being one of the enduring themes of the Gospels, joy seems to be the core value in an encyclical letter of the Pope Francesco, "Praise Be to You" (Laudato Si', 2015) and in three apostolic exhortations: "The Joy of the Gospels" (Evangelii Gaudium, 2013), "The Joy of Love" (Amoris Laetitia, 2016), and "Rejoice and Be Glad" (Gaudete et Exsultate, 2018). Especially his first presentation titled "The Joy of the Gospels" has become a frequent point of reference to various fields in the universal Church.

"Rejoice and Be Glad" dealing with the call to holiness in today's world in five chapters talks about joy and a sense of humor as one of four signs of a holy life within the framework of holiness in the "Beatitudes" (Mt. 25:31-46). According to the Pope, three other signs of holiness are "perseverance, patience and meekness," "boldness and passion," "in community," and "in constant prayer."

In the second article of this book, Pope Francesco expresses his modest goal of writing this book is "to re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. For the Lord has chosen each one of us 'to be holy and blameless before him in love" (Eph 1:4). 

Certainly, joy witnesses a holy life and the secret of sanctification without any blamelessness. In Catholic tradition, there are many saints who witnessed the way to holiness, encouraging and accompanying us along the way to a holier life. 

The door to sainthood has been widely opened to those ordinary people like our mothers, grandmothers, loved ones or those who live "next door." Not only those virtuous and heroic priests or sisters, but all of us are called "to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves."

Holiness can grow through small gestures. Let me quote the most practical, concrete, and humorous explanation of an example to be holy from article 16 of "Rejoice and Be Glad": "A woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbor and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But she says in her heart: 'No, I will not speak badly of anyone.' This is a step forward in holiness. Later, at home, one of her children wants to talk to her about his hopes and dreams, and even though she is tired, she sits down and listens with patience and love. That is another sacrifice that brings holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she takes her rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of holiness. Later still, she goes out onto the street, encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind word to him. One more step."

"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." (Acts 20:35)

The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.