Many people in ministry seem to glow with the “joy of the Gospel” that Pope Francis challenges us to live out as evangelizers in his recent apostolic exhortation. But I am always surprised, standing at a conference booth, at how often I run into people in ministry who look like, “someone who has just come back from a funeral” (Evangelii Gaudium, #10). Running into both types of people gives me reason to reflect on what I am bringing to others around me through my ministry and day-to-day living.
Reading Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation last week fueled this reflection further. I paused frequently, as I savored his words, to ask myself, “How am I proclaiming the joy of the Gospel on a daily basis?” I invite all of us to pause and reflect on these questions:
- What type of person am I? One who looks like I came back from a funeral? Or one whose life glows with fervor because I received the joy of Christ?
- How is God inviting me to return to the source of my joy?
- How am I nurturing the source of my joy, my relationship with Jesus?
- Am I living my day-to-day life in a way that allows the goodness of the Gospel to spread to others?
As we reflect on these questions, let us keep in mind that a sure sign that the Gospel is being proclaimed and bearing fruit is if joy is present (Evangelii Gaudium, #21). May all of our ministry be full of the joy of the Gospel that is rooted in our own personal encounters with Jesus!