By Melanie Rigney
Then the wolf shall
be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf
and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. (Isaiah 11:6)
Justice
shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. (Psalm 72:7)
Jesus
rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and
the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been
your gracious will.” (Luke 10:21)
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| Carl Heinrich Bloch [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. |
Piety
Jesus, help me to follow Your example of joy.
Study
You know
those moments, where everything, and I mean everything,
is so right with the world, specifically your world, that you can’t help but be joyful? And however you show
it—belly laugh, chuckle, big grin, quiet smile—everyone around you can’t help
but see it and feel happy too. Or maybe you’re down about something, and you
see someone being that full and you can’t help but be perked up a little
yourself.
Imagine Jesus
rejoicing as we are told today in Luke 10… not meditative, not teaching, not
parrying with the authorities, but rejoicing. His immediate response is not to
congratulate himself or hug everyone around him but rather, to give thanks. I
suspect the hugs came quickly thereafter, for it was the return of the
seventy-two disciples and his reminder that their success came from their names
being written in heaven that revealed the joy. But thanks came first for Jesus…
in joy and in sorrow, in pain and in triumph. May we learn from the way he
obeyed the Father’s gracious will at all times.
Action
Today
is World AIDS Day. Attend an event in your area, or check out the prayers and
fact sheets available at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ site.
Is there a way, through action or prayer, that you can show joy today to
someone suffering from HIV/AIDS or one of their loved ones or caregivers?
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