Living the Joy of the Gospel

In my recent post for dotMagis, I reflected on my experience of watching people in ministry at Catholic Conferences. Reflecting on that experience as I read Pope Francis’ exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel gave me much to think about.

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!

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