“They were delighted”.  So Luke writes when the followers of the Way learned the Council of Jerusalem, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had addressed their concerns.

On a recent weekend, I calendared a grandchild’s christening, celebrated a centenarian’s birthday, watched golden daffodils bloom, attended a cousin’s fortieth wedding anniversary, and opened a granddaughter’s purple (my favorite color) crayon-scribbled note proclaiming “I Love You.”  I was delighted. I remind myself to treasure and retain these joy-filled events in memory for times when life gets challenging.

Pope Francis has remarked: “Joy is the sign of a Christian….There are Christians with faces like pickled chili peppers: always with [long] faces, with souls to match….This is bad….There is no such thing as a sad Christian; the Holy Spirit teaches us to love and fills us with joy.“

In this time of Resurrection joy, how can I better come to recognize and appreciate the joys in my daily life?

―George Penman Sullivan, Jr. is a Jesuit-educated lay leader who helped found Chicago’s Ignatian Volunteer Corps. He and his wife, Dorothy, live in Wilmette IL, and have four children and three grandchildren.