Surprised by Joy
“I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul.” – Isaiah 61:10
Two weeks ago, I was surprised by joy. I went with a group of 27 people on Casa Building to finish building a new house in Tijuana. We shouted “¡Sorpresa!” when the Carbajal Pioquinto family entered their home. Seven-year-old Eduardo and his five-year-old brother Antoni rushed with overflowing excitement to hug me. We had never met before. For two months since their house began to take shape, they have been eagerly waiting to express gratitude. They surprised me with joy, placing upon me their longings to thank benefactors for a gift beyond their wildest imagination.
Eduardo and Antoni taught me an important lesson about joy. Joy springs from gratitude. It is our soul smiling. Brené Brown confirms this in her research. She sees joy as “an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection, pleasure, and appreciation.” Joy is happiness of the soul, erupting out of gratitude.
The readings today give glimpses into the souls of both John the Baptist and Jesus. John was eager to be the voice “crying out in the desert.” When questioned by people, he kept testifying to the light, pointing them to Jesus, to the one “who is coming after” him. Jesus inaugurated his mission of reconciliation with the same prophetic fervor of the first reading: “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me … I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul.” Both John and Jesus faced insurmountable challenges. Yet joy in their soul, fueled by gratitude, sustained them.
As we celebrate Gaudate or Rejoicing Sunday, war continues in places like Gaza and Ukraine, polarized division persists in the US society and Church, and loneliness infects our world. Yet, beneath or through these real challenges and struggles, gratitude and joy remain. The One our souls await has come, is coming, and will come. God keeps promises, often in surprising and unexpected ways. For me, it was through Eduardo and Antoni.
Lord, help me notice how you touch my soul through the people and experiences I am grateful for, in obvious or disguised ways.