Joyful, joyful – again!

Sorry to post twice in one day, but I just read #Fr. Burke Masters blog entry for today, the Friday before Epiphany. He based it on the reading from 1 JOHN 2:29–3:61. In it John tells us that we are now God’s children, thanks to Jesus…Here’s what I wrote in early December of 2018. I was reminded of it today after reading Father Burke’s post.

I am sharing a song by one of my favorite Christian bands, Casting Crowns. It’s called “Joyful, Joyful.”

It is a beautiful old song that’s been updated and I just love it. My favorite part of the song, though, is when the girls in the band start singing, “God our father, Christ our brother…teach us how to love each other…” over and over. It’s a prayer of supplication within a prayer of praise and worship. And it’s heartfelt and beautiful. It should be our prayer. Our love for God, as proclaimed and exemplified in the song, will bring us to the point of loving as God our father and Christ our brother love.

I wrote a poem once where I describe someone so full of joy that it shoots out of them like a geyser into the world and we are all, those of us around her, are covered in joy. That’s the kind of joy God our father, Christ our brother can draw forth from our hearts.

An ideal earthly father protects, teaches, provides, and loves; you respect him and try to live up to the standard he sets. How much more is all of this true of God our father? A brother is someone you can be yourself with and who, if he is your big brother, you want to look up to and emulate. You know that he loves you, though he doesn’t always tell you. But he proves it by his actions when the need arises. I suggest that we should think of Jesus as our ideal big brother. He looks out for you, will go to bat for you and even stand in front of you to make sure the bullies don’t hurt you. He’ll even die for you and in doing so destroy death so you can live forever with him.

Think of Jesus as your big brother and try not to be a pain in his side, or his hands, feet, or head, for that matter. Try to emulate his actions and always, always look up to him. His love for you will fill you with so much joy that you won’t be able to contain it. Next thing you know, everyone around you will be covered in joy.