“We are fragile creatures, and it is from this weakness, not despite it, that we discover the possibility of true joy.”
— Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Book of Joy
“All is gift.”
— St. Ignatius of Loyola
In Luke 15, Jesus shares two parables about rejoicing when something that is lost has been found. What is interesting to me (Vanessa) about these illustrations is that in each one—the parable of the lost sheep and lost coin—the finder calls their friends and neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me…” (Luke 15:6,9).
These teachings precede Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in which we also see a collective rejoicing upon the son’s return. The Greek rendering of the phrase “rejoice with me” is used more accurately by Paul in Philippians when he says, “Make my joy complete” (Phil. 2:2).
I believe part of what Jesus is offering us here is that (1) our joy comes from a heart that is rooted and grounded in the love of God and (2) joy is intended to be shared and to multiply. Deeper than that, joy is made whole or complete when we experience it with one another, alongside other bodies. I wonder what it would mean for you, for me, for us as a collective to enter into spaces where joy is expressed or embodied in ways that are unfamiliar to us, and join in.
If you’ve recently joined us, lectio divina is Latin for “divine reading.” It is a practice that traditionally has four parts—lectio (read), meditatio (reflect), oratio (respond) and contemplatio (rest)—and involves the reading of a passage, poem or prayer four times with periods of silence between each reading.
If you’re new to this practice, you may find it helpful to move through each part in order. Or you may find the stages to be as Fr. Thomas Keating describes: compass points around a circle wherein the Holy Spirit moves you seamlessly between each part.
I (Vanessa) will guide you in this 8-minute audio meditation through Ephesians 3:17-19 from the New Living Translation. To listen, click the link in the box below.
