The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice. A few examples will suffice.
“Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28).
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41).
In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47).
When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29).
Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “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). Our Christian joy drinks of the wellspring of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22).
The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that
the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52).
The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34).
Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?
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