Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
“The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” This is the closing line of today’s first reading. It is optimistic and uplifting. Thinking back on the days that I’ve been filled with joy, I can recall my wedding, the day Ignatius was born, the day my godson was baptized, and a number of other special occasions. My list of joy filled days includes achievements, milestones, and celebrations. My list, however, does not include rejection, persecution, failure, and expulsion from region I was trying to help. So what provided joy despite the circumstances for the disciples? I want to propose three things that that might allow us to face seeming failures with joy and grace.
First, I think we need to make sure that we are being honest. Honesty is a tricky balance. It is as much about the accuracy of what we say as well as how much or how little we say. But the disciples knew they were being honest and so they could gracefully accept what took place after they honestly shared the truth.
Second, Honesty and truth go hand in hand, and one thing that we have to face is that if what we believe is true, we have to expect it to be consistent. This can be learned from the fact that Paul and Barnabas knew that just as the people were free to accept the Gospel they were also free to reject the Gospel. In the words of Matthew West, “If you can’t say no, your yes means nothing.” Does this mean that Paul and Barnabas found joy in the rejection of the Gospel? No! But they understood that human freedom allows someone to reject the truth, even if it has been shared with them. This understanding meant that as long as they were honest in their words and their effort, they weren’t going to allow another’s free choice to rob them of their joy.
Third, this also wouldn’t rob them of their joy because they knew their limitations. I find that discouragement assaults my joy the most when I give myself too much credit. If I begin to assume that I’m capable of doing more than I really am I’m susceptible. That is when rejection and failure really begin to rob me of my joy. I allow myself to become full of a prideful spirit instead of the Holy Spirit. Knowing my limitations though, allows me to open wide the doors to the Spirit and to know when my ability stops and when something needs to be left in the capable hands of God. This takes wisdom, but once again that comes back to being filled with Holy Spirit.
Looking back on this reading, and what we can draw from it I’m reminded that the joyful life of the disciple hinges on the Cardinal virtues. Paul and Barnabas had the fortitude to stand in front of the crowds and preach God’s honest Truth, Jesus Christ. They had the sense of justice to know that everyone had a right to hear the truth, but also had the ability and prerogative to reject it or accept it. They had the prudence to know their own limitations and the temperance to walk away and leave what they had started in the hands of God. They were joyful because they were filled with the Spirit and were living the virtues. What does your joy hinge on?
-Spencer Hargadon