Cracking the code of joy
A group of Poor Clare sisters in front of the Basilica of St. Clare, Nov 2019
During my visit to Assisi last year, I was standing in front of the Basilica of St. Clare, admiring the spectacular view of the Umbrian valley below, when I saw a group of Poor Clare nuns gathering in front of their namesake church to take a photo. (Lucky timing for me!) While observing them for a few moments, I was struck by something I’ll never forget: they were the most joyful group of people I’ve ever seen in my life. They radiated the kind of joy that can only come from a deep and honest place in one’s soul. It was palpable. It was mystical. It was beautiful! I felt blessed just being in their presence.
Shortly after taking the picture, they filed into the church to pray, and a little while later, Bill, Dylan and I headed in as well. We made our way to the prayer chapel which houses something VERY special: the actual crucifix from which St. Francis heard the voice of Jesus asking him to rebuild his church in 1205. To say it was awe-inspiring to sit in front of that cross is an understatement.
The cross of San Damiano not only changed Francis’ life, it literally changed the world, so I was keenly interested in what Christ might want to say to me from that cross. As I quieted my soul, I heard Jesus telling me, “Be joyful and conform your will to my way of love.” It’s a message that has been written on my heart ever since.
True joy is something we all long for in this life. It’s the hallmark of a soul that trusts in God completely. It comes from letting go of the things we can’t control and surrendering our preoccupations to the God who loves us and wants what’s best for us. In short, it’s about total dependence on Him.
It’s also about total gift of self. Joy is a spiritual muscle that gains strength when we serve others. It expands to the degree that we flex it and do so habitually (yep, just like working out, there’s no shortcut to doing the heavy lifting, day-in and day-out). It’s about being the “saint next door” that Pope Francis talks about - accompanying people on their journeys and bringing them the love of Christ through simple acts of kindness.
Seeing the Poor Clares that day helped me crack the code of joy: total surrender to God + humble service to others = joy. Simple formula? Yes. Hard to do on a daily basis? Double yes! While dying to self is easier said than done, I’m confident that the Holy Spirit will supply everything we need to bring God’s goodness to this world, enabling us to live lives of abundant grace, gratitude and joy, just like those Poor Clare Sisters of Assisi.