I continue to be amazed and in awe of the writing process. Sometimes you just “hit the zone”. Time stands still as you enter into this wondrous world of words. Sentences pour out. There is utter joy in re-arranging phrases until all flows….seemingly effortlessly. Of course, there are days when creativity takes a hike and you dig fruitlessly for an idea – any idea!
And, sometimes, you forget having written a specific piece and wonder where it came from. Your own writing becomes a challenging mirror, forcing you to either eat your words or accept the meager wisdom you are trying to offer. I had this feeling with my latest column for the Prairie Messenger. I wrote a column on joy when joy was absent.
Joy is perhaps the most underused and under-appreciated tool at our disposal for the new evangelization. Faith presented as a source of joy, not as a burdensome obligation, plants seeds of desire to believe ever more deeply. Memories of past joys help us to grasp onto hope in the midst of darkness, believing that eventually all will be well once more. Joy glories in the love of God and others and effortlessly draws others into that love…..read more.
P.S. I dare you to look at the photo of Pope Francis and not smile! 🙂
catholic dialogue 
Isabella: Right on with this article. I want to see joy on the altar at mass. What could be more joyful than that celebration of God’s love for us. And I want to see God’s joy shining through in the faces of all who minister in any way.
And right on, Kathy!!! 🙂