THE JOYFUL BROTHER
Every once, in awhile, a
Brother of the Catholic religious Order would come to visit me. He naturally
wears that peaceful, contented, and joyful countenance, without hint of
artificiality. He radiates the quietness of spirit and the confidence of faith
which is infectious.
How both of us, each, from
the opposite side of the sectarian fence, a Baptist and a Catholic, got
acquainted, and shared common interest, was I believe providential.
His unplanned visits would
refresh me, especially in times when I get much too serious with or
immersed in worldly endeavors.
Our conversation would be
brief but genuinely deep and personal. Yet the talk is seasoned with joy in the Lord. He would give fresh insights about God’s
word in relation to his earthly existence, and the challenges he faced. As a
Seminarian, he is still praying hard for
God’s leading if he would serve the Cause of Christ by returning to his Order
and become an ordained priest. For the moment he finds peace in the ministry of
teaching.
In every parting he would
always assure me that the only thing he could do in exchange for the time and
kindness shown to him, is prayer.
The aura of this Brother
is unlike some Christians I meet.
They assume serious,
heavy, faces and stern, weary looks which seem to create an impression that
they are either aloof in self righteousness,
or angry or they carry the weight of the world alone, as if God had gone away
for awhile and ordered them to take over.
Jean Maalouf one of my
favorite Catholic religious writers
aptly observed:
“Many Christians… do not
seem to live joyful lives. The indwelling presence of the Trinity’s community
of love in them remains only an intellectual idea, that hasn’t touched their
daily existence. They are not able to realize the “all-ness” of God in their lives. They misinterpret the very
message of Christianity which is “good news of great joy”(Luke 2:10)… They
underestimate the value of childlike abandonment to God and cannot understand
that they have to “live by the Spirit”(Gal 5:16) so that they can enjoy
“newness of life.”(Romans 6:4)
Many Christians do not
know that joy adds depth to everything they do.” (The Healing Power Of Joy)
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