Reflection of the Week - 19th December 2023

By Henri Nouwen

Posted Dec 19, 2023 in Faith

In the first reading of the Eucharist today I heard: ‘I am offering you life or death. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live in the love of Yahweh, your God, obeying his voice, holding fast to him’ (Deuteronomy 30:19–20).

How do I choose life? I am becoming aware that there are few moments without the opportunity to choose, since death and life are always before me. One aspect of choosing life is choosing joy. Joy is life-giving but sadness brings death. A sad heart is a heart in which something is dying. A joyful heart is a heart in which something new is being born.

I think that joy is much more than a mood. A mood invades us. We do not choose a mood. We often find ourselves in a happy or depressed mood without knowing where it comes from. The spiritual life is a life beyond moods. It is a life in which we choose joy and do not allow ourselves to become victims of passing feelings of happiness or depression.

Reference:

Choosing Life, Henri Nouwen, Meditation Landing - Henri Nouwen.

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