The joy of following Christ
One thing I have noticed about strong religious orders, such as the Franciscan Friars (and Sisters) of the Renewal or the Sisters of Life, is that their members are joyful. Whenever I talk to one of them, I can’t get a smile off my face, because their joyfulness is so contagious. This joyfulness is attractive and is one of the best means of evangelization; after all, who wouldn’t want to be part of something so full of happiness and fun?
Joy, however, is often an overlooked virtue in the Christian life. But Fr. James Martin gives a great (and hilarious) defense of joy in this speech he recently gave (note: the talk is almost 30 minutes and the audio quality at times is poor, but it is worth it):
James Martin, SJ from The Leadership Roundtable on Vimeo.
H/t: OSV Daily Take
I didn’t watch the video, but the subject made me think of an observation I recently related to my girlfriend, Jenny; those who convert or ‘revert’ to the Catholic Faith are always so joyful, and those who leave are usually very bitter and angry. Makes you wonder why anybody ever leaves.