A rainy, rainy, dark, cold, southern Sunday - both outside in the weather, and to the spirit after the last few days. It makes it harder to fully embrace the 3rd Sunday of Lent - "Joy" (Gaudete) Sunday. It first seems to be great irony at the timing - how can we be happy as a nation and large 'village'? Instead, it is God's comfort over the tragic side of free will/struggle of mental illness. Joy is
something entirely different from happiness. The words of a dying woman who discerned joy as she faced death came to mind today during Mass, and I wish this for myself today, and all I know.
"I had thought joy to be rather synonymous with happiness, but it seems now to be far less vulnerable than happiness. Joy seems to be a part of an unconditional will to live, not holding back because life may not meet our preferences and expectations. Joy seems to be a function of the willingness to accept the whole, and to show up to meet with whatever is there. It has a kind of invincibility that attachment to any particular outcome would deny us. Rather than the warrior who fights toward a specific outcome and therefore is haunted by the specter of failure and disappointment, it is the lover drunk with the opportunity to love despite the possibility of love, the player for whom playing has become more important than winning or losing...Joy seems more closely related to aliveness than to happiness." ~ Rachel Naomi Remen
"I had thought joy to be rather synonymous with happiness, but it seems now to be far less vulnerable than happiness. Joy seems to be a part of an unconditional will to live, not holding back because life may not meet our preferences and expectations. Joy seems to be a function of the willingness to accept the whole, and to show up to meet with whatever is there. It has a kind of invincibility that attachment to any particular outcome would deny us. Rather than the warrior who fights toward a specific outcome and therefore is haunted by the specter of failure and disappointment, it is the lover drunk with the opportunity to love despite the possibility of love, the player for whom playing has become more important than winning or losing...Joy seems more closely related to aliveness than to happiness." ~ Rachel Naomi Remen
Do not let this life steal your joy. Stay ALIVE. Grab the joy. Light that candle.
Blessed Joy Sunday to you all....much love.
Gaudete.
.jpg)
+-+Copy.jpg)
.jpg)
+-+Copy.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a message. I hope to get better about commenting back directly (I get so busy with the kids!) but I appreciate you very much!! I wish you a GREAT day!