Joyful, thankful, helpful

what the spirit of Easter should lead us to. With

Christ guaranteeing our salvation and as long as we do our part, we

have every reason to be joyful and thankful that in turn should

strongly encourage us to be helpful to others.

            This lifestyle was reflected well among the first

Christians. This is how the Acts of the Apostles (2,42-47) described

this phenomenon: “They (the first Christians) devoted themselves to

the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking

of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many

wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

            “All who believed were together and had all things in

common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them

among all according to each one’s need. Everyday they devoted

themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking

bread in their meals and exultation and sincerity of heart, praising

God and enjoying favor with all the people…”

  

            Take note of the radical simplicity these first Christian

lived as a result of their faith in the apostles that in the end

channeled their faith in Christ. Such simplicity led them to be

joyful, thankful and concerned with the needs of the others.

            We need to have the same simplicity if we really want to

be joyful, thankful and helpful to others. Let’s remember that we are

meant to be joyful. We may not be able to avoid suffering and pain in

this life, but it cannot be denied that deep in our heart we want to

be happy, with a joy that never ends.

            And it’s possible to be joyful despite the many negative

things that we have to face in life. As long as we hold fast to our

faith in Christ, we can experience what St. Paul experienced:

            “In all things we suffer tribulation, but we are not

distressed. We are sore pressed, but we are not destitute. We endure

persecution, but we are not forsaken. We are cast down, but we do not

perish. We are always bearing about in our body the dying of Jesus so

that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodily frame.”

(2 Cor 4,8-10)

            To keep our faith in Christ going, we have to be thankful

to Christ for whatever. When we are always thankful to Christ, we open

our heart to the workings of grace and the innate goodness that comes

with our nature, at least that part that is still unaffected by sin.

            We have to see to it that everyday, we are conscious that

we are always thanking God and others. In fact, we need to continue

lifting our heart in thanksgiving all throughout the day.

            A day without saying “thank you” is a bad day. It’s a

clear sign we are quite self-immersed only, blind to the continuing

proof of the goodness of Christ and the others. We detach ourselves

from them, isolating ourselves in effect and putting ourselves in

grave danger.

            It’s when we are joyful and thankful that we would be in

the condition to be helpful to others. This concern and helpfulness

for others would be manifested by desiring what is good for others

from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual, and by being

always aware of the needs of others, especially their spiritual

well-being.

            This can only mean that we have to get out of our own

shell and to actively enter into the dynamics of a life of communion.

Thus, we certainly need to deepen and strengthen our sense of

communion. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do, but neither is it

impossible. We just have to realize that we need to constantly ask for

grace for it and be as unsparing as we can in exerting the necessary

effort.