I first noticed it at Thanksgiving several years ago when everyone was posting what-I’m-thankful-for lists. Counting my blessings only seemed to underscore the sadness I was feeling on behalf of the multitudes whose lives consisted of suffering: refugees, sick children, communities torn apart by racism, and worlds blown apart by gunfire and suicide bombs. I felt powerless, and at the same time, deeply aware that I really was not trying very hard to make a difference, especially considering how much I have been given.

Opening ourselves to joy also sensitizes us to sorrow and vice versa. The two go hand in hand. Holy Week illustrates this in a profound way. In a handful of days, we travel from the bleakest stage of the Christian journey to its most glorious. In fact, the power of the latter depends upon the apparent hopelessness of the former.

If we want to live the joy of the resurrection to the fullest, we have to be willing to shine a light on the dark underbelly of our own lives and clean up our acts. To recognize the ways in which our actions, or lack thereof, contribute to the pain of the world. We need to be willing to acknowledge that, all to often, we are part of the problem. But wait, didn’t we just spend all of Lent doing exactly that? It’s almost Easter now. Isn’t it time to move beyond pen- ance and focus on joy?

The potential for great good and for great evil resides within every heart; and the opportunity to choose comes to us every day, regardless of the season. Jesus did not endure the Way of the Cross to give us a fifty-day vacation from examining our consciences. He went through it to show us that the pathway to the fullness of life passes through pain — through dying to our sins, our selfishness, the grudges we hold, and the preconceived lenses through which we view the world and the people in it.

To grieve for the suffering of others and to acknowledge the ways in which our own failure to act can contribute to that suffering joins us to the heart of God. When we unite ourselves to the heart of God, we feel compelled to change; to act as God’s hands and feet in the world. And it is through this action that we will discover the full joy of resurrection.

About the Author: Kathleen M. Basi is a composer, essayist, musician, and disability rights activist. She is also a wife and mother of four children, one of whom lives with Down Syndrome. Kathleen is a regular contributor to Bring- ing Home the Word, an e-newsletter that features suggestions for prayer and reflection at home. A new edition is published every weekend. See link below.

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (4-2-23)
Bringing Home the Word (4-2-23)
The Kids Bulletin (4-2-23)

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