It might surprise us that at the heart of Jesus’ ministry and teaching is joy.
Speaking of what he revealed to us, Christ teaches: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
With these words, Jesus revealed that he himself experienced profound joy and that he came to give us this joy.
The Gospel is a message of joy— not a superficial joy that wilts in the face of hardship, but a profound joy that overcomes hardship and blossoms in spite of it, and sometimes even because of it.
The joy that Christ promises us is rooted in his eternal joy with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
But in his earthly life and in our lives, this joy is necessarily a temporal joy.
It takes place, grows, and develops in time.
For this reason, the test of time can reveal to us whether we are sharing in Christ’s joy or not.
How frequently do we grow frustrated with time?
We might feel we don’t have enough of it, or it might seem to pass too slowly.
Do we rush through life inattentive to the value of each moment and the blessings contained therein?
If any, or all, of this applies to us, then our joy in each moment is far from complete.
The correct attitude is that of Christ.
Jesus appreciated each moment he had.
The hardship, suffering, and sorrow that he experienced did not lessen the profound joy he had in each moment, as he did the Father’s will, received the Father’s love, and shared that love with those around him.
We can imagine Jesus taking delight in the small, ordinary things, and in this way delighting in each moment of time.
Indeed, because there is no time in eternity, the Incarnate Word’s experience of time must have been a singularly special experience.
When we adopt Christ’s attitude of embracing the Father’s love and his will at each moment, we will find, over time, that we will come to delight and take joy in the moment, in each moment that we have.
The saints show us the way with their joyful serenity and their often-incredible productivity alongside profound and extended times of prayer.
The test of time shows us where we stand: either rushed and disgruntled or serene, deliberate, and joyful.
As we embrace and appreciate time, and grow in our stewardship of it, we will experience an increase in our participation in the very joy of Christ.
As we close out this final reflection, let us consider in prayer the serene and joyful countenance of Christ, even amidst suffering.
As we begin to apply what we have learned from this set of reflections and our time with God in prayer, let us also beg the Lord to transform our attitudes towards time, so that, through our improved stewardship of time, he might grant us increasing joy in each and every moment of our lives.
Lord Jesus, you were filled with joy, even onto death.
Help us to take joy in every moment.
Give us the grace to steward our time well so that we may be completely present to you and to those before us at every point in our day.
Lord Jesus, we are weak.
Please give us the grace to persevere in our pursuit of becoming good and virtuous stewards of your gift of time.
Amen.
