CARRY THE SPIRIT=OF JOY=WITHIN YOU

 

CARRY THE SPIRIT=OF JOY

(Within You)

 

Today=we have a READING

From the=ACTS of the apostles

And the apostle Philip=BRINGING GREAT JOY

To a city

 

Oh=how we could USE

Some of that JOY=in our

AMERICAN CITIES RIGHT NOW

 

CARRY THE SPIRIT OF JOY=

(Within you)=WHENEVER you can

SPREAD GOD’S JOY within you=

To your city=and to

THE WHOLE WORLD

 

“With ONE ACCORD=the crowds

Paid attention to what=was said by Philip

 

When they heard it=and

SAW the signs=he was doing=

For unclean spirits=crying out

Of many possessed people=and many

Paralyzed or crippled people

 

THERE WAS GREAT JOY=

In that city”                                                                                                                              Acts 8:6-8

 

WHOEVER you are=and wherever you are residing

I HOPE=YOU ARE CARRYING=the spirit

Of God and JOY within you

 

The JOY of love of Jesus and of God=

The joy=of loving ONE ANOTHER

CARRYING THE SPIRIT=OF JOY

(Within You)

 

There is so much TROUBLE

In our CITIES today=Natural disasters=

DOMESTIC violence and shootings=and

POLITICAL DIVISIVENESS=They gang up on us

And try to=STEAL OUR JOY

 

But IF we are=

GROUNDED in God and love=and Jesus

And living in=THE WORD of God=we can

STILL LOVE=with the JOY=coming out of us

 

“For the Lord=Your God

Will bless you=in all your harvest

And in=all the work=of your hands

And YOUR JOY=WILL BE COMPLETE”                                                                                Deuteronomy 16:15

 

“……..while the morning stars

Sang together=and all the angels

SHOUTED FOR JOY?”                                                                                                              Job 38:7

 

“A wise son=BRINGS JOY

To his father=but a foolish son

Brings grief=to his mother”                                                                                                      Proverbs 10:1

 

We can LEARN JOY=from

How Philip=carried himself=and

How he benefitted from the EXAMPLE

Of the other apostles and disciples

And how He=CARRIED THE SPIRIT=of joy

Within himself

 

LOOK AROUND=there is

Still love and compassion

In this world

 

We see=people HELPING STRANGERS

We see people=feeding the hungry=

HELPING each other build houses=and FIGHTING

For the POOR and the marginalized

LOOK AT THAT KINDNESS at work

Look at that LOVE

 

If that doesn’t make you FEEL JOY

Nothing will

CARRY THE SPIRIT OF JOY

(Within you)

 

“I have=told you this

SO THAT MY JOY=may be

In you=and that

YOUR JOY=MAY BE COMPLETE”                                                                                              John 15:11

 

Live with joy=JOY IS contagious=just like love

CARRY THE SPIRIT=OF JOY

WITHIN YOU!

 

In Jesus’ name=and in the name=of our FOREVER JOYFUL=and loving Holy Father God!

 

Robert P. Wallman

5-03-2023

 

 

Ps        INSPIRED=by an article=IN LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE=by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.