“No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth.” (3 Jn 1:4).
These are words from the third letter of Saint John, addressed to a certain “Gaius,” about whom we have no further information. We can undoubtedly put these words in the mouth of our Heavenly Father. As this entire epistle attests, our life must be lived in accordance with the truth, both in word and deed, bearing witness to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is undoubtedly the greatest joy for our Heavenly Father. How could it be otherwise? We often meditate and speak about our Father’s mercy and His infinite patience with sinners. Indeed, it is important to emphasise this so that people never lose hope and fall into despair, and so that we ourselves always take refuge in his mercy when critical situations arise. We must always see His saving hand and also bear witness to those whom God places in our path that He is willing to go to extremes to rescue us from the abyss.
But, on the other hand, we must not forget the joy that God finds in the righteous, that is, in those who live with their eyes fixed on His goodness day after day. To them the Father can entrust great things and commit the fight for ‘the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3).
Although in the parable of the prodigal son the father admonishes his faithful son to rejoice at the return of his lost brother, he also addresses these wonderful and unforgettable words to him: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (Lk 15:31). May this affirmation be a consolation to all the righteous!