Description
It has been such a special time for the Church as Pope Francis visits the United States. It is visible to all people the joy that this Holy man brings. In his homily for the canonization of Saint Junípero Serra on September 23, 2015 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception he says,
Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice! These are striking words, words which impact our lives. Paul tells us to rejoice; he practically orders us to rejoice. This command resonates with the desire we all have for a fulfilling life, a meaningful life, a joyful life. It is as if Paul could hear what each one of us is thinking in his or her heart and to voice what we are feeling, what we are experiencing. Something deep within us invites us to rejoice and tells us not to settle for placebos which simply keep us comfortable.
At the same time, though, we all know the struggles of everyday life. So much seems to stand in the way of this invitation to rejoice. Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our hearts grow numb.
We don’t want apathy to guide our lives… or do we? We don’t want the force of habit to rule our life… or do we? So we ought to ask ourselves: What can we do to keep our heart from growing numb, becoming anesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives?
Jesus gives the answer. He said to his disciples then and he says it to us now: Go forth! Proclaim! The joy of the Gospel is something to be experienced, something to be known and lived only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away.
The whole homily is absolutely amazing so you can read the full thing here. But we are struck by this call to rejoice. As a reminder, we have designed this downloadable 8×10 print of Philippians 4:4 to match our free wallpaper for phone and desktop.
Design by Erica of Be A Heart. Frame is not included.
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