Thursday, December 13 Advent Reflection

Joy is contagious. Think of the happiest person you know — they are fun to spend time with, aren’t they? After an evening together, you depart feeling uplifted. They make you a better person somehow — like something from them rubbed off on you.

We can be that person for others when we live with joy. When we step beyond ourselves in love and seek God’s will for our lives, we discover that God’s love is trustworthy. Trusting our lives to God means we don’t walk alone and that we are safe. It also gives us a purpose — to share that love with others — as well as the strength to carry it out. When we live this way, we find joy, which is attractive.

St. Mother Teresa knew this — how else do you think she was able to convince other young women to give their lives over to serving the poorest of the poor in the slums of India? She didn’t need to convince them at all — they were attracted to her joy and love.

Who is the most joyful person you know? Start a conversation with them today about what makes them joyful.