In January, discover a short text with Pope Francis, taken from his apostolic exhortation The Joy of the Gospel.
Perifmedia collected also for you, from its readers, the first impressions that arose from this rich and encouraging text.
A daily surprise! A breath of inspiration…
Comment from our readers…
God is Great - He will never ask us something that we cannot accomplish with His grace. How many times did I let myself be discouraged, until I realized that I had just received through His providence the grace necessary to accomplish what I had to do. And how many times did He give me joy! Thank you Lord!
-Éric
Comment from our readers…
God is strength, life, light. He triumphs over all evil, but we are weak and our faith is too small to accept it. Our fragile faith is easily shaken. Jesus, pour over me the light of Your resurection, and give me the strength to trust You always forever.
-Éric
Comment from our readers…
What is inside of me that reflects around me? What a question!.. I realize that my heart is full of Jesus, Son of God, who opened for me the fullness of His divinity. Alleluia! This ascertainment enables me to live joyfully and savour the love of my Saviour.
-Lise
Comment from our readers…
I am sensitive to the simple things that come my way during the day. God is present in them and I enjoy more and more welcoming these simple moments. God wants the best for me and I trust Him. Every morning, I remind myself that life is not a problem to solve but rather a mystery that unfolds. I am convinced that every day brings joy... and joy is precious.
-Roger
Comment from our readers…
Yes! Glorious is the Cross of Christ! And why not adorn it with gold, precious stones and jewels? From now on, let us look at Jesus on the cross, decorated with glorious ornaments that invite us "emphatically" to rejoice. Rejoice when we see our Savior so nicely decorated, covered in glory in our own homes. It must be good for Him to see us adore him in such a way, just like Mary Magdalene with her perfume. Occasionnally I like to look at my crucifix resting on a cushion; it has been hanging on a wall for so long! Yes! Let us rejuvenate our devotions, let us be creative, like our Father in Heaven, and joy will be in our hearts.
-Carole
Comment from our readers…
This visit speaks of the importance of going out to others. Mary reached out to her cousin Elizabeth and this movement brings joy even to the infant yet to be born. What impresses me in this visit is the impact of Mary's assistance which, is source of joy. It seems difficult to me to bring joy by my own, but at any moment, we can "step out" of ourselves to go to others. This is how we will find joy for ourselves.
-Pierrette
Comment from our readers…
Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit can also happen to us. This joy is not like the one we feel after success, good news or a gratifying encounter. This joy is of a different kind. It comes unexpectedly, but can be recognized by it's texture and imprint, the mark it leaves in us. More than a memory, it is a treasure, a fountain where I can draw. Reconnecting with this joy is reconnecting with the Holy Spirit.
-Marie-Reine
Comment from our readers…
In the concentration camp where Father Kolbe was held, a meager bowl of soup was their only material support for survival. One day, a young man shamelessly addresses Father Kolbe: Give me your soup, you are too old anyways. Rather than balk before this malice, Father Kolbe gave him his bowl of soup with a smile. Isn't this a beautiful example of Franciscan joy?
-Denis
Comment from ours readers…
An image comes into my mind when I think of the fountain pouring out of the Heart of Jesus. At the end of the movie Ben-Hur, Jesus dies on the cross. The storm breaks, and the blood of Christ mixes with the water flowing in the streets of the city, bringing blessings along the way, healing the lepers…
This fountain of abondant graces is an inexhaustible flow from which we can draw true joy.
-Marise
Comment from our readers…
The cause of our sorrows is very often quite small in comparison to what will cause our joy. We must live our sadness knowing that it is only transient. God calls us to a joy that is much greater, and to rejoice even in the difficult times, remembering that He is with us in all our hardships.
-Vincent
Comment from our readers…
This joy that comes from inside us, which comes from the Holy Spirit, the joy of knowing that God loves us, that an eternal joy awaits us, that the saints and the angels are there to help us, this joy; no one can take it away from us.
-Marise
Comment from our readers…
The disciples did not follow Him in vain. Yes, He really is resurrected, yes, Jesus truly accomplishes His promises. Without a doubt, Heaven, as promised by Him is real, and He has left to prepare a place for us.
-Martin
Comment from our readers…
At dinner with friends or family, I try as best as I can to set aside everything that could distract me from His presence… from their presence. In my opinion, it is the perfect moment to offer them my presence and to appreciate each and everyone’s unique qualities. Sometimes, when I manage to leave behind my own worries and interests, I am able to focus and give myself to others and suddenly I experience a simple and delectable joy. It’s as if, slowly, through the presence and words of others, I am able to experience God’s unconditional love for each and every one of us.
- Suzanne
Comment from our readers…
I am 40 years old, and in reflecting upon my personal journey that brings me closer to God, I can say that the way in which I experience joy has evolved. When I was younger, I would cherish the joy inside of me, as if it were exclusively mine; this joy was authentic but somewhat self-centered. God progressively teaches me how to redirect this joy back to Him, in a motion of gratitude and to direct it towards my neighbours so that they may also benefit from and be encouraged by it.
- Marc
Comment from our readers…
I will never forget the day that, as a nurse, I gave a Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception to one of my cancer patients just a few hours before his death. His son arrived to his bedside approximately 30 minutes after his death. When I told him that I had given his father a Miraculous Medal, he opened his hand to reveal a medal of Saint Joseph he had planned to give to his dying father. What a grace!
-Réjeanne
Comment from our readers…
Overcoming extreme sadness often seems well beyond our means. I was once in such a situation, unable to deal with the sadness accompanying the death of both my parents, when I was just 5 years old. A child is helpless when faced with the great tribulations of life. Everyday, from childhood to adolescence, I experienced the pain of being without family, committed to life with strangers. It was an ever present, indescribable sadness, even when I would put up a smiling face. Then, on one Easter vigil, the night when we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, this sadness disappeared and was replaced by a new joy. In the days that followed, I noticed, to my amazement, that my tragic past no longer resurfaced as endlessly as before. "We all have to let the joy of faith slowly awake". Pope Francis invites us to keep the door of faith open, even during our most difficult times, until these moments of Resurrection arrive, when Life triumphs.
-Marie-Monique
Comment from our readers…
What a consolation! This phrase gives me so much hope. I am always surprised to discover what God has in store for me. I feel as though he knows me very intimately, "more intimate to me than I am to myself", as saint Augustine would say. Patienly, He "restores" me, He renews me.
I particularily like to pray bathed by the silence of the morning, when the day is "new". I feel I can then gather the grace specific to that day, like the manna in the desert.
-Sylvie
It took me years of perseverance before I could enjoy the tranquility of silent trust. The tranquility of His presence. I cannot feel it, but I know that God is at work inside of me and that He is "kneading" me. The world seems in disarray, but I am certain that the seed of Resurrection is blossoming. Every day, we get closer to home.
-Valérie
Comments from our readers...
I recently experienced a moment of great joy. I read a few excerpts from Edith Stein’s works before going to bed one night, among which was The Science of the Cross; I was greatly moved by my readings. Upon leaving my room the following morning, there was a small gift bag at my doorstep and in it was a magnificent little cross! A friend of mine had dropped off the small gift bag. She knows that I am very fond of crosses! I saw it as a sign of the Holy Sprit for He knows how to organize events at the right moment to comfort and strengthen us. This event made me reflect; the cross can bring us great joy...
-Valérie
Comment from our readers...
When I was young, like many I was searching for proof of His existence. Experiencing Him as a person, not an idea, or a concept, but a real person with whom we can enter into a relationship, that completely changed my attitude towards the reality of who He is. My quest became certainty that God is in me and present to me throughout my life.
-Marise
Comments from our readers…
Last fall, I came across this phrase Jesus said to Mechtild von Hackeborn and was deeply touched: "Consider how great is my love: If you want to know it well, you will not find it expressed more clearly anywhere than in the Gospel. No one has ever expressed stronger or more tender feelings than these: As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you."
I was struck by the intensity and the profound intimacy of this incommensurate love for us, for me. Jesus loves us AS the Father loves Him; that's a lot being said! I pursued my reflection with this second phrase from the Gospel: "Love one another AS I have loved you". This is the most beautiful, real and true way to live out a relationship. Now that I have had the chance to feel and taste Your presence, it is my turn to offer it to others... AS You love me.
-Dolène
Comments from our readers…
I never wanted to be a missionary. I prefered the safety of "hiding" behind the testimony of others. However, God recently put me in a situation where I am forced to go out of my comfort zone, propelled towards those around me. At the same time, I feel the need and the urge to share my faith and my love for God. God transformed me, pushed me beyond myself, and I have never been happier.
-Dominique
Comments from our readers…
Convey God, His Goodness, His Beauty, His Truth … it sometimes seems that our western societies put a break on our impulses for the sake of secularism. Moreover, do I myself hold back my desire to spread «this Love that gives Life», out of fear of being ridiculed, out of laziness, out of worry and concern?
-Valérie
Comments from our readers…
This excerpt gives me hope and motivates me to change for the better. It reminds me that every personal journey towards God causes others to follow. I think of Saint Terese of Lisieux who became patron saint of the missions, even though she spent her whole life in a Carmelite convent! She continues to influence people around the world and to obtain conversions!
-Guylaine
Comment from our readers…
We only have to let the door of our heart cracked open to let God in, and to experience His mercy for us. Our hearts, our eyes, our hands become free, and the mercy we come to experience ourselves enables us to understand the sufferings of others and to wish them the same joy. We were all created for happiness!
We must not be like the unforgiving servant in the Gospel, who is forgiven of his own dept but turns around and refuses forgiveness to his neighbor who owes him. Rather, every day, we should put into practice Pope Francis' appeal for charity, an honest, real and heartfelt motion towards others.
-Dolène
Comment from our readers...
For me, this phrase is brimming with hope, and it encourages me to continue to fight against the evil and morbid sensationalism fed by the media. We are surrounded by a sea of fear and disgust, fed by a constant tide of "bad news". Let's quit the drama and become bearers of good news, bringing out the good in the open. Christ assured us that good will triumph over evil! Let us not be afraid to lend a helping hand in the daily struggle to uphold the good.
-Christian
Comment from our readers...
One day, at the school where I was teaching, I came across a student who had been thrown out of his classroom because of indiscipline. My colleague was busy with other students who needed assistance, and this particular student looked bored to death, with his forehead head down against the top of his desk.
-What are you doing? I asked him.
-Homework... I don't understand.
-What is it?
-Pronouns!
-Ah! Ok! Look at me: I am a person, (pointing at him) YOU are a person, (pointing at another student) HE is a person, (pointing at everyone around) WE are people...
At that moment, I realized how important it is to pay attention to people above anything else...
-Marie-Monique
-Comment from our readers
The closer we get to the end of times, the more quickly time seems to fly. The love of Christ is so important that it has to be manifested.
-Marise
Comment from our readers
It is a miracle worthy of the Gospels: life, like joy, increases and multiplies as it is shared. Here is a miracle that even my minuscule faith allows me to accomplish. Why not today?
-Eric
«God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.»
-Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel
Comment from our readers…