Church is called to transmit joy which brings peace – Pope

December 03, 2013 - We cannot imagine a Church without joy, as she is called to transmit the joy of the Lord to her children – a joy that brings true peace. This was the heart of the homily of Pope Francis during Mass Tuesday morning at the Casa Santa Marta chapel in the Vatican. Commenting on the day’s reading from Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke about Jesus’ speaking about His union with the Father, the Pope focused on the issues of joy and peace. While Isaiah speaks about peace that we all desire brought by the Messiah, Jesus demonstrates a joyful heart. However the Pope noted that we don’t get a picture of Jesus smiling and joyful as He went about preaching and healing, even at the Last Supper. But He was full of joy being in union with the Father. He exulted with joy in the Holy Spirit in praise of the Father. And it is this interior mystery of Jesus’ union with the Father in the Holy Spirit that is the font of the interior joy that He gives us, the Pope said, adding, “this joy is true peace.” However, it is not static peace, quiet and tranquil. It is the Christian peace full of joy because Our Lord is joyful. And Jesus wanted that His spouse, the Church also be joyful. And this joyful spouse becomes also the mother assuring us the Lord saves us and walks with us. In this regard Pope Francis recalled Pope Paul VI who said the joy of the Church consists in evangelizing, in talking about her spouse, Christ, and transmitting this joy to her children. Pope Francis said the Church is called to be joyous even in her widowhood, explaining that the Church is partly widow, who is expecting the return of her spouse, which is joy in hope.