I think I have always heard people talk about someone they know, have heard of, or have met who “radiates joy”. However, I never could quite grasp what that meant. I knew that not many people are described using that phrase, and that it is a wonderful quality to have, but the closest I could get to an experience of a person with this joy was in learning about the saints (especially Mother Teresa).
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Last year I met four people who, without knowing it, showed me what it means to be radiantly joyful.
When I met these four, it was immediately clear to me that there was something very special about them. In reflecting over my day that night I realized that it was their way of living joyfully that stood out so much to me.
For most people, being joyful probably doesn’t sound too hard to do most of the time. But what is the difference between being joyful, and being radiantly joyful?
It’s important to realize that “radiant joy” doesn’t mean putting on a fake smile all day and never letting anyone see you upset. That really isn’t even something I’d want to imitate because it lacks authenticity. True joy is just that: true.
In every conversation and interaction I had with these people or that I observed them having with others, there was a deep and steady thread of joy. It was consistently there, as if it were truly a part of them. This is because joy is not a feeling (the feeling is happiness), but a fruit of the spirit. While feelings are fleeting, supernatural gifts are much more profound and permanent.
Supernatural joy goes hand-in-hand with the theological virtue of hope. Hope is what allows us to remain joyful, even in times of hardship and struggle. In Hebrews 6:19, we read that hope is the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (RSV). With this definition, the connection between joy and hope becomes very clear: If we anchor our souls in God instead of ourselves or the world - though doing so would be a big and radical commitment - how could we not live joyfully?
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Until last year, I had never encountered a person (or group of people) who could really be described as “radiating joy” or “authentically joyful”. And I haven’t come across anyone quite like that since then. It’s a radical quality in our world, and those people who have it are really special.
But it doesn’t have to be so rare.
Although it’s quite a tall order, we are all called to live lives of true joy in Christ. We may - in fact, we will - stumble along the way, but that shouldn’t mean giving up. If we strive to live joyfully we will see not only our lives improve, but (whether we see it or not) the lives of those around us will also improve.
St Mother Teresa challenges all of us to live joyfully, in the hope of changing the whole world to be more joyful, authentic, and hopeful even in times of trouble. Although she doesn’t say this to suggest that committing to living a life of joy is easy (it's not; it requires a lot of effort as we work to better ourselves and requires us to give up some of the worldly ways/things we'd rather hold on to), she does imply that it is entirely POSSIBLE:
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier”.
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So ultimately, how do those four people I became friends with live so joyfully? Their joy doesn't come from being perfect - they would quickly assure you that they are just as imperfect as any of us. They are so authentically joyful because they're willing to work to become better. They’ve given their lives to God and let their trust and hope rest in Him.
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This is how we can change the world.