Joy
This is a hard time to celebrate Christmas – or at least the make-believe shopping mall Christmas of jolly music and relentless good cheer. That is not the world we live in. But Christmas is not make-believe. Jesus really was born into this world – a flesh and blood fact that never goes away.The child lying in the manger tells us wonderfully and marvelously that God is with us: God Emmanuel, in all his vulnerable glory, is with us. And that is a cause for profound joy and hope.
-Br. Geoffrey Tristram, SSJE
The Fourth Day of Christmas: The Gift of Joy
Joy is a gift; it’s a spiritual gift. Genenally speaking, if you want to receive a gift, don’t keep your hands in your pockets. Open your heart and open your hands to receive the gift of joy. Cooperate with God.
