Did you read the news today? Oh, boy. How quickly anxiety can envelop us. We wake to troubling headlines, personal worries, and the weight of communal strife—and our hearts grow heavy. Yet into this heaviness, today’s Gospel speaks a surprising word: joy. Not shallow cheerfulness or momentary relief, but a deep, resilient joy—anchored in our identity as God’s beloved.

In the Gospel, Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples to announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand. When they return, they are radiant with excitement. They have seen demons submit to their command, and they are overwhelmed by the spiritual authority entrusted to them.

But Jesus gently redirects their joy:

“Do not rejoice because the spirits submit to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus shifts the source of their joy from external victories to a deeper, enduring truth: the joy of belonging to God.

Too often, our joy is fragile because it rests on things that can be lost—successes, approval, comfort, control. But Christian joy is different. It flows not from changing circumstances but from unchanging truth: in baptism, we were claimed by Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit. Our names are written in heaven. No failure, no sorrow, no rejection can erase that.

Anxiety thrives in the absence of certainty. When we question our worth or fear what lies ahead, our hearts become restless. But when we anchor ourselves in the truth of our heavenly belonging, joy becomes our defense. It becomes a spiritual bulwark, guarding our hearts and minds against the siege of fear.

Joy is one of the great themes of the Gospel of Luke:

• Mary rejoices at the angel’s message:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:46–47).

• At Jesus’ birth, an angel declares:

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all the people” (Lk 2:10).

• In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father rejoices at the return of his lost son:

“Let us celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again” (Lk 15:23–24).

• And Jesus tells us:

“There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7).

Likewise, the prophet Isaiah calls God’s people to rejoice:

“Rejoice, Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her!” (Is 66:10)
Because the Lord promises:
“I will send flowing peace, like a river” (Is 66:12).
This promise resounds  and is as relevant today as in ancient Jerusalem.

In Catholic theology, joy has two meanings:

Natural joy is the emotion we feel when we obtain a good thing. It is delight, a feeling that teaches us to receive and enjoy life gratefully.

On the other hand, joy is also used to describe the supernatural, spiritual quality of the love of God, joy poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, joy is expressed  in the deep part of our spiritual life. Joy as an emotion, delight, flows from us obtaining some earthly good. That emotion is perfected in the joy we get from obtaining the greatest good, which is God. The call to joy within us is rooted in the very goodness of God. Joy in the heart of the creature reflects the goodness that resides in the heart of the creator. It is the fitting and faithful response of the receiver to the generosity of the giver.

This second definition is then the joy Christ brings us, the joy Christ shares with the seventy-two. It is  the felt knowledge of God’s unlimited and unearned love for us, a love that is constant and never taken back, even when we fail dismally to respond as we should. And this joy is found often at the very heart of pain and suffering. By choosing to rejoice, even when it feels unnatural, we affirm our trust in God’s goodness and His ultimate victory over all suffering. 

Such joy doesn’t simply happen. It is  chosen.  It is cultivated.  It is joy subject to the state of our power of free choice, that is our will

Through prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments, we root ourselves in this divine reality. These spiritual practices do not always change our circumstances, but they change us. Like a house built on solid rock, they help us stand firm when storms come.

We choose to love God, and we love our neighbor. And in the choice of loving God, we, experience our soul  coming to rest and finding joy in the love of God. We choose to participate in the joy of the Church, of the Saints.

The liturgy is the Church’s public worship and a profound expression of rejoicing. Through the liturgy, we join with the angels and saints in heaven in praising God. The hymns, prayers, and rituals of the liturgy are all designed to lift our hearts in joyful worship.

My brothers and sisters, the Church draws our attention today to the need for joy in the Christian life. Not shallow positivity, but the deep joy that springs from our relationship with Christ.

When we allow that joy to shape our hearts, our homes, and our communities, we become bearers of good news. We become instruments of joy. Like the seventy-two, we are sent into the world not to spread fear or judgment, but to declare with confidence:

“The Kingdom of God is at hand.”