Beloved Father, how can our hearts become gardens of gratitude from which the joy we find in You can flow to all people? What a light this could be, when so many today do not know true joy and seek their happiness in the transitory things of life. This would also be a powerful weapon against the forces that seek to darken our lives. We would take the weapons out of their hands with which they so gladly plague people. They will find it difficult to prevail against a grateful heart in which Your joy dwells.
Showing all posts dated February 28, 2026
Day 11: “Joy, prayer, and gratitude”
In today’s reading (1 Thessalonians 5:14–23), we hear St. Paul’s instructions to the community of Thessalonica on how they should live so that God’s peace may reign among them and so that their whole being may be kept blameless “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 23) Today we will focus on three of the various exhortations that the Apostle addresses to the Thessalonians:
- “Rejoice always” (v. 16).
- “Pray constantly” (v. 17).
- “Give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18).
“Rejoice always.”
Certainly, this is not a sentimental joy. However beautiful that may be, it can quickly fade and be replaced by other feelings. St. Paul must instead be referring to a spiritual joy: joy in God. By remembering every day that God loves us, we can find deep and lasting joy—especially when we realize that He does not withdraw His love even when we are weak and fall short of what we had set out to do. God has said an irrevocable “yes” to our lives, with which we can face the various “no’s” we encounter within and outside ourselves.