Pope Paul VI Wants You to Smile

There is an approach to the Christian life that I find particularly tiresome. It is that emphatic cheerfulness in which all must take part, that demand that you will be joyful. But Christian joy is in fact a great part of our faith. In a few years we will mark the fortieth anniversary of a relatively obscure Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Paul VI, Gaudete in Domino, “Rejoice in the Lord” (1975). In anticipation of that anniversary, let’s look at some of his insights about Christian joy.

First and foremost, the pope underscored that true joy is internal. Like charity, it is not overbearing. He noted the need to teach people “how to savor in a simple way the many human joys that the Creator places in our path.” He then enumerated several kinds of joy: “The elating joy of existence and of life; the joy of chaste and sanctified love; the peaceful joy of nature and silence; the sometimes austere joy of work well done; the joy and satisfaction of duty performed; the transparent joy of purity, service, and sharing; the demanding joy of sacrifice.” It’s not a list likely to make an extrovert smile.