Day 20 of Lent 2020

This one today seems counterintuitive to how I usually am. I am always striving for happiness for others and for myself. I wake up every morning asking God for the grace to make everyone who comes to me feel better about themselves before they leave my presence.

But happiness is fleeting. We can be happy one moment and upset the next. The experiences we have in life can change our happiness to sadness. Happiness is an emotion. It changes daily.

What we are looking for is joy.

Joy comes from God. Joy is knowing that whatever happens in our life God has our best interests at heart.

My profession as a teacher brings me joy. There are good days and there are bad days but being with my students gives me a sense of purpose. That is joyful to me.

I see some students every year think if they are “dating” that will make them happy. They do not realize that unless they are joyful (being able to handle the good and bad) in their own life, they will not be able to be joyful in a relationship.

Right now is a perfect opportunity to bring joy to our lives. Performing acts of kindness towards others can bring us joy. Doing something for others during our time of quarantine and social distancing can bring us joy during times of isolation and boredom.

Thank God for all the happy moments in your life. When we look back on our lives and all those happy times pray that God will bring you joy even during the unhappy moments of your life.

Happiness is temporary. Unhappiness is temporary too. But experiencing joy is a gift from God that will bring us purpose and can last our lifetimes.