Jesus Christ is the Wellspring of Joy.☀️

‘I have one passion, it is Christ. Christ alone’. (Count Zinzendorf)

As we journey on, Jesus and I, more of His wonderful light shines in my darkness and the landscape of my life is changing from ‘black and white’ to bright colour all the time. To articulate this is impossible really, I am bursting at the seams to sound all coherent, I know I won’t. I simply must try though. Holy Spirit You have the words of eternal life, please prompt me.

As my crutches fall to the ground - television, radio, merlot, to name but a few, Jesus fills the empty spaces with His Light and Life. It is not as if Jesus asks me to make big changes, He never does, Jesus will never trespass our free will, He will never barge in. Simply said, I find walking in His footsteps so rich and interesting, I do not want to waste a second. There’s a joy, an all-encompassing contentment that cannot be easily explained. The massive highs are gone, as are the devastating lows, instead there’s an evenness like I have never known. There’s a river of joy flowing deep in my heart, a warmth.

My extraordinary privilege of being the Hands and Feet of Jesus takes me many places, I never know what is around the bend. Today I met a young couple in a perfect setting to tell them about Jesus, later I met a very sad lady from another country, again a perfect setting to reach out and offer hope. When I tell people that I did not read what I am sharing with them - I walked every step of the way - they relax. When they see that I am not trying to convince them of anything, I am simply witnessing to them, sharing something wonderful, Someone Wonderful, Jesus, a receptivity emerges, an openness.

‘If you become Christ’s you will stumble upon wonder upon wonder, and every one of them true’. 

(St. Brendan of Birr)

Holy Spirit gives me the courage to speak and the wisdom to be quiet, my inner ear is sharpened. I have always been a talkative person but more and more I am being led to listen, quite a feat some might say. 

‘Lord Jesus Christ, You never used your tongue poorly, and You never kept quiet honestly and helpfully. You always said whatever God wanted You to say. Blessed be Your tongue’. (St. Birgitta of Sweden)

Prayer is joy where once it was burdensome. Jesus told Sister Josefa Menendez that all important actions should be preceded and vivified by prayer, for only in prayer can a soul obtain the strength needed in life’s difficulties. (Christ’s appeal for Love)

Being taught with such gentleness and kindness is so different from our worldly ways, learning is  enjoyable, every day an adventure. Our Divine Master is full of tenderness and mercy. ‘I will teach you lovingly, patiently. My lessons are not of the schoolroom; they are fireside confidences’. (God calling2)

For many years I liken my life to having two baskets, one basket for Jesus, one for my problems. Over time, God’s beautiful grace united my two baskets and nowadays my best friend Jesus is in charge of my life basket. With Jesus at the centre, order is restored, chaos recedes. 

St. Faustina wrote that whoever is united to One of The Three Divine Persons - God the Father, God the Son and God The Holy Spirit, is thereby united to the whole Blessed Trinity, for this Oneness is indivisible. What comfort and hope, what unimaginable happiness. 

Jesus is the wellspring of Joy and Gladness. 

‘Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee. Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take myself and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee’. (F.R. Havergal)

‘To say “Yes” to Jesus is to reach our maximum fulfilment because this is the true meaning of our existence, the goal to reach. It is the only thing that really counts and it is for this reason that God became man’. (Mother Elvira/Cenacolo Community)