Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Phil. 4:4)
You can sense it almost everywhere now. The exhaustion and misery of a civilization that has forgotten how to hope. Watching the news, scrolling through social media, or checking in on X to see what’s going on in the world is an excellent way to bring on a panic attack these days.
While the problems facing modernity seem to be reaching an apex of disorder and evil, the fact is that we are no worse today than our ancestors were generations ago. Each generation tends to see its struggles as unique and far more consequential than those faced by people throughout history.
This is natural to the human psyche. While we can reach back to the stories we learned from our parents and grandparents, and remember the lessons we learned in history class, ultimately, stories and lectures are all that they are. Lived experiences place a much more visceral mark on the heart and on the soul.
So, we go about our lives imagining ourselves at the pinnacle of human suffering, regardless of evidence that points to the contrary. Within this lens of existence, joy and peace are castigated as the luxuries of those who create an environment of misery and injustice. What are the faithful to do on this battlefield of darkness?
Let me introduce you to chara.
Chara is a Greek word that is best translated as a deep joy and contentment that emanates from spiritual peace. Chara is the kind of joy that does not merely pull us out of a momentary bad mood or alleviate the ache of a lousy day. While it does do those things, it does so because it is an integral part of the character of the individual who sees all trials and tribulations, whether personal or part of the larger collective, as opportunities to lean on Christ and grow their relationship with Him.
Chara exists within the heart of the person who is certain that Christโs death and resurrection did exactly what the Church teaches they did. Why should we worry when humanityโs ultimate worry, death, no longer has its sting?
The truth is, Christianity was never meant to create fearful, joyless people. On the contrary, those who claim Christ as their Lord are called to live outside of the world in a manner that stands in stark contrast to the darkness of a fallen humankind, by publicly displaying their joy and confidence in Jesus.
Catholics are commissioned with a difficult task, to be sure. On Sundays, gathered together at Mass, it can seem as though we are deep in the belly of the ark. While the flood rages outside, we are confident in the knowledge that the vessel we face down the storm in is blessed and structurally sound. Our individual lights shine together and radiate the ultimate light that emanates from the Eucharist.
However, when Mass ends, our light heads out into a dark world, and what was illuminated and warm for an hour or so becomes colder and dimmer as we head deeper into the secular avenues of our lives. And while that may seem grim and depressing, it should be the exact opposite. In those dark corners of the world in which we are called to operate daily, our light can be the vivid contrast needed so very desperately.
The fact is, we tend to underestimate our light and its impact in the day-to-day drudgery of modern life. We donโt necessarily see the routine as the possibility of changing the trajectory of the day for someone in some small way through our interactions. We donโt see how that change can be the change needed in their lives, which facilitates a new way of looking at the world. We donโt think about how those seemingly meaningless, random encounters are often the catalysts that bear spiritual fruit in their lives and the lives of those they interact with. We do not see how we are called to be miracle workers for Christ.
Joy is something that flows naturally into the hearts of the faithful from the light and graces of Heaven. We only need to allow it entrance to our souls and ensure a place for it by intentionally curating it in our lives. The temptation can be to act joyfully because we think we should. Not because we are actually feeling and experiencing joy. When we force it, it appears to be forced, and those who observe the act clock it for exactly what it is. Namely: a poorly executed performance. When we live it, it becomes contagious, and those whom we encounter not only observe it, but experience it as well.
The surest way to integrate true chara into our lives is to first and foremost learn how to trust Jesus in a way that we may not have thought possible. True joy and peace in the Lord come from not only believing, but knowing that He loves you with an intensity that we cannot comprehend with our human intellect. There is nothing He will not do for us, no sin He will not forgive us, and no peace He would deny us. Joy stems from trust.
As Catholics, we are very fortunate to have a wealth of holy people and saints to learn from in our desire to become more trusting. St. Faustina, Blessed Mother, St. Peter, and St. Therese of Lisieux are particularly powerful intercessors when it comes to beseeching the Lord for the gift of childlike trust in Him.
Reading the Bible is also enormously important if anyone is earnestly attempting to cultivate a deep trust in Christ. Story after story of God the Father coming to the aid of His people, even when they were distraught and in supreme anguish, permeate the Old Testament. Our God is a warrior, a savior, our greatest love, and our best friend. Trusting in Him completely is the greatest devotion we can offer Him of ourselves. Lord, while the whole world might seem as if it is crumbling all around us, your Cross doesnโt tremble. Jesus, I trust in you!
The beauty of chara is that it is not only attainable through deep scriptural study or endlessly pouring over the lives of the saints. It is attained through seeing our lives as a gift and a challenge to shine Christโs light through our words and actions. When we trust God with our whole being, we begin to see every aspect of a day as not only another moment in the course of going about our business, but as a gift with endless potential. Adopting joy as our cornerstone not only promotes an authentic witness to Christ, but it also elevates the Church beyond a global structure that determines how we worship, and points to it as the blazing furnace within our hearts that fuels us to go on, fearlessly.
The world today seems to want to tamp down joy. If the world had its way, Jesusโ story would have ended on Golgotha. However, it most assuredly did not. Christianity does not end with the Cross, but thrives in His resurrection. In a world that is convinced that joy is fragile, temporary, and even improper and pretentious, Catholics proclaim something astonishing: joy has a name. It is Jesus. And He is still alive.
Photo by Thomas Kinto on Unsplash
