Novena Day 7
Joy
In the past almost two years in lockdown, we have attended countless online Zoom Masses, Zoom-ustahan, online movie watching, online reunions and celebrations. You’ve probably attended online Masses in different parts of the country and even the world. More than ever, we are amazed by and grateful for the gift of technology that allowed us to still commune even though virtually. We can see how human creativity highlighted the goodness and grandeur of God.
Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom, says “I realized the purpose of life is about pursuing happiness, and that sustainable happiness comes from making others happy…When I make a decision I always think, will this make the friends around me better, make them happy?” Through Eric and all the people who have facilitated connection for us, we rejoice at the extent of the human person’s creativity to find and bring comfort and joy in our communities.
“Happiness usually involves a victory for the self. Joy tends to involve the transcendence of self. Happiness comes from accomplishments. Joy comes when your heart is in another. Joy comes after years of changing diapers, driving to practice, worrying at night, dancing in the kitchen, playing in the yard and just sitting quietly together watching TV. Joy is the present that life gives you as you give away your gifts,” said David Brooks, Columnist with The Times who addressed a crowd of 35,000 people at Arizona State University (2019). In other words, joy is celebrated in our human connections and connection with the self.
Reflection:
How do I choose joy in my family / community when we are unable to gather and celebrate physically like before?
What creative ways have helped me to remain in the goodness of the Lord and walk in his delight? [name little concrete steps]
Do I believe that we have within us and among us ‘joy’ even in the ordinary, even the gloom of separation brought by this pandemic?
We are invited in today’s novena theme to allow the Lord to bring joy to our lives and to others and in return, be bringers of the Lord’s joy, too. Let us be one with St. Thérèse Couderc in recognizing Jesus “within us the One who is the joy of angels.”