SPIRITUAL JOY

St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682) was a French Jesuit priest. He wrote, “By God’s infinite mercy I feel a liberty of spirit that fills me with great joy. It seems as though nothing could now make me unhappy. The thought that I am serving God fills me with this joy, and I feel that it is of far greater value that all the favor of kings would be.

I know no greater joy than to discover some weakness in myself that I did not realize before. I often taste this joy and shall always have it when God gives me his light when I am examining my conscience. I firmly believe, and in this I find joy, that God guides those who give themselves up to his leading and that he takes care of the least things that concern them.

We must serve God with our whole heart and do all in our power to prevent ourselves from sinning, but all this is to be done with joy, liberty of heart, and entire confidence, in spite of all the weakness we feel and the faults we commit.”

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus